


Past and Present

by Lisa_24_7



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:07:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 88,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22705186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lisa_24_7/pseuds/Lisa_24_7
Summary: Danny Fenton and Sarah Manson were the class couple, destined to be together forever. Until one night when Danny disappeared, leaving Sarah heartbroken. Fifty years later, Samantha Manson is alone and makes a drastic decision, finding herself in the hands of a mysterious young ghostly hero and placing all those they love in danger as a hero's origin unfolds. [AU DXS]
Relationships: Danny phantom and Sam Manson
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Amity Park, 50 years ago.

"I can't believe we graduate tomorrow," Sarah Manson commented. She was sitting next to him on the bed, running her fingers through his jet black hair.

"And then, we go our separate ways," Danny sighed.

Danny and Sarah had known each other since pre-school, sharing play dates, holidays, math tests, and memories. And somewhere between the semester they had both spent with mono and the epic CAT test, they had finally decided to start dating. What seemed like a good decision at the time was slowly turning sour as their last summer before college approached.

Danny had plans to attend an academy for pilots, which was very far away from Amity Park, their hometown. Sarah, on the other hand, was going to attend a community college in town: she hated the idea of picking up and leaving. Both knew they would forever be friends, but being so far apart would never work for anything more.

"Well, at least we have all summer together," Sarah replied.

"And we're going to spend it doing all the things we love. Walking the beach, exploring the creepy buildings around town, and buying new records of course!"

Danny and Sarah were pretty good about spending time doing nothing, and one of their favorite nothings was the local record store. They often found themselves spending hours sorting through new and old tunes, looking for the most off the wall ones they could find.

"I don't know, Danny…, I mean nothing will ever beat that Elvis record we found last week!" Sarah said with a small smile as she reached over to her player.

Soon the tune of "Can't Help Falling in Love" began to fill the air.

They both looked at each other as they recognized the song, the words flooding their brains.

"Sarah! Danny! It's getting late, shouldn't you two be calling it a night?"

The voice of Sarah's mom was came from downstairs,breaking the trance and alerting them that time was up, and Danny needed to be heading home.

"We're about to graduate high school and the curfew is still nine o'clock. Man, Sarah, you need to get your parents on board with this dating thing…" Danny joked.

"Believe me, I've tried. But when you suddenly inherit money from toothpick wrappers, all sense of anything else kind of goes out the window…; like a ghost."

Sarah's family was rich. They hadn't always been, but about five years ago a rich uncle had died and left all his money to them. She had hoped nothing would change, but it all did. Her parents, who once took an interest in her life, now only cared about whether or not she was alive. She hated it, for she was always being controlled by her parents and their money. Which is why Danny was the only person outside of her family who knew: If anyone at school found out, she'd lose control of that also.

She and Danny were not the most popular people at their school, Casper High. They had a few other friends, mostly just so they wouldn't be alone at the lunch table, but that was it. They tried not to mind it most days – being popular was overrated – but Sarah sometimes wondered what would happen if she shared her family's secret.

"Well, I guess, and honestly my sister is probably worried sick anyway," Danny said, thinking of his sister, Jasmine, and how overprotective she could get.

"I'll call you tonight, when I get home, ok?"

He leaned in for one last goodbye kiss on the cheek before heading to the door. All Sarah could do was blush as he left, wishing this moment would never end.

' _I sure am going to miss this…'_

* * *

It was nine thirty and Danny still hadn't called. Sarah wasn't too worried: he had forgotten before, but after what they had done today, she was sure he wouldn't just forget.

So she waited.

Ten. Nothing.

Ten thirty. Nothing.

Eleven. Nothing.

She gave up around eleven thirty, when she herself was getting really tired.

' _I guess I'll just talk to him tomorrow_ ,' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Danny found himself wandering the streets of Amity Park, knowing that his curfew was a little bit later, and therefore he had time to just walk and think.

' _Sarah. We've been together since preschool, and after graduation tomorrow, everything changes.'_

' _Why did I decide to go off to school in D.C. ? Why can't I just stay here, with her, forever?'_

' _Come on man! You've wanted to be a pilot longer than you've known her, and you know that you'll never forgive yourself if you give that up.'_

At this point, Danny found himself in front of a local market, advertisements in the windows for meat sales, $1 milk, and discount flowers.

' _There's always next year…'_ he thought as opened the shop door.

' _And tonight, you need to take a chance.'_

* * *

It was the last day of school. They were graduating tonight.

Sarah waited at her locker for Danny. She just needed to see him, to be sure he was okay. He never showed up.

' _Danny, where are you?'_

In class, the teachers called role. No Danny.

By the time the day had ended, Sarah was getting very worried. He hadn't been at school all day and she hadn't talked to him since yesterday afternoon. Where was he?

' _Maybe he's just sick and needed to get better for graduation.'_

After school, she decided she couldn't stand not knowing anymore, and headed straight for Danny's place.

Upon entering his house (something she was allowed to do without knocking, since the family knew her so well), she knew something was wrong.

His mom was standing in the kitchen, the phone to her ear.

"Yes, that's right. He's 5'8" and has jet black hair and blue eyes. Yes, officer, last night."

' _That can't be good'._

Her heart sank. Where was Danny? Obviously not here.

"Yes, I understand you are working on other cases. Yes, the explosion, I saw the news. Any chance they're...?"

She paused.

"I see, well if you find anything please let me know."

His father was running around, a bunch of signs in his hands. Sarah couldn't manage to stop him, so she continued to look around.

Danny's older sister, Jasmine, was sitting on the couch, her mass of red hair leaning into her hands.

"Jazz., Jazz? Are you ok? Shouldn't you be in class?"

Jasmine was currently attending the local community college, and Sarah knew that it took a pretty big emergency to keep her from attending class.

The girl looked up at her brother's girlfriend, tears filling her eyes.

"No one knows, he's been gone since last night…" She leaned back into her hands, a sobbing sound coming from underneath.

Sarah took that as her cue to leave.

' _Danny never made it home? Why didn't I worry more? What kind of person AM I?!'_

Her heart sank. Danny, her Danny, was missing.

* * *

She had been looking forward to graduation all year. She and Danny both walking across that stage. She and Danny sharing that moment. She and Danny, finally ready to face the world. Now, however, she didn't feel like going.

Every hour since that afternoon, until she finally had to get ready for graduation, she had called his family to see if Danny had showed up. He never did.

Everyone was worried, but she was probably the most worried, maybe even more than his parents were.

She was now dreading graduation. Hearing his name but not seeing him walk across that stage…. They had both worked so hard for this, and now he was gone. In her mind, she kept hoping he'd show up, but in her heart she knew he wouldn't. He was gone, and her life would never be the same.

* * *

Weeks passed. Police gave up, determining that Danny was likely dead. The night in question had led to several suggestions, from a few local fires and kidnappings to a bigger explosion at a nearby store. Officers assumed he had stopped off at the store on his way home, but no definite evidence came to light.

His parents were in mourning, wishing they knew what had happened, or at least that they'd had one last chance to say goodbye.

Jasmine had retreated to her room, not wanting to be disturbed as she tried to figure things out. She and Danny had been really close, sharing so much, that it affected her harder even than it did her parents.

Sarah was devastated. The last thing they had discussed was her parents' fortune, and looking back she knew what she should have said instead. What she should have _done._

Dressed in black, umbrella in hand, she approached the tombstone with tears in her eyes and an iris in her hands: yet another favorite thing of theirs'.

"Danny. I love you."

She kissed the flower and placed it on this stone.

It read:

"Daniel Fenton. Gone too soon."

* * *

" _Oh dear girl. I wish I didn't have to hurt you through all of this. But please understand, it's for the greater good."_

_Floating above a sea of stones, the figure looked down upon the blank one, waiting for the precise moment to turn._

_A distant clock struck twelve as the figure went from very young to very old within seconds, pointing his staff at the blank stone._

" _Daniel Fenton. We will meet again."_

_———_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Present time (50 years later)

"Tucker! Where are you dragging me this time?"

"The new special edition 500-gig PDA just came out, and I have to get to the store before they're all gone!" Tucker yelled back at his friend as he ran down the street toward the local electronics store, Sam quickly falling behind.

"How come he doesn't run like this in PE?" Sam wondered as she panted behind him. "Seriously, Tuck, they won't run out!" She kept running, not looking ahead, only to trip over Tucker, who had suddenly come to a halt.

"Geeze, Tuck, warn me next time," she remarked as she got up and brushed herself off.

"Sorry, Sam, but we're here! And look at the line!" He was right; there was a line out the door. For a PDA. Who knew.

"Wow, it looks like every nerd in town is here!" Sam commented.

It was true, though. The entire line was nothing but guys with glasses and pocket protectors.

If Tucker had been paying attention, he would have found that comment offensive, but instead he was talking to the guy in front of him.

"So, are you excited for this new PDA?" Mikey, the nerd in front of Tucker, asked.

"Are you kidding?! I didn't even sleep last night!"

' _Nerds…'_ Sam thought as she rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished she had other friends, ones who didn't discuss electronics all day and drag her to the store every time the latest came out. Not necessarily girl friends, but just someone different, someone who understood her, someone like her grandmother.

For awhile now, Sam's grandmother, Sarah, had been really the only person she had to talk to. For one reason or another, the lady just seemed to understand Sam and her dark ways. Sometimes, when they were together, Sam felt like she didn't have to be the depressed, lonely 'Goth Girl' or anything else, just herself. She wished she had friends like that.

But for now, she was stuck with Tucker, the nerd, her only "friend."

How they had become friends had since become a mystery; Sam only remembered the vague details. It was the first day of high school. She'd been eating alone at lunch, as usual. Tucker had been new, had wanted to try and score, and decided that Sam would be an easy start. Luckily, Sam hadn't really taken notice of Tucker when he sat down at the table.

So for the next few weeks he'd kept sitting down and she'd kept ignoring, until one day they just decided to be friends.

And for Sam, that was something, even if she couldn't talk to him about what was really important.

"So, did you hear the news?"

Upon hearing this, Sam broke out of her daze and started to listen. She enjoyed hearing any type of news.

"What news?" Tucker asked Mikey.

"The Fentons just finished up that ghost portal they've been working on forever!" Mikey sounded really excited, and why wouldn't he? Nerds liked stuff like that.

"Oh! Really?!" Tucker perked up at hearing this. He had been following the Fentons' work for a while now, and the ghost portal sounded very promising. "So is it working now?"

"I heard they're going to plug it in tonight, in front of the press," Mikey replied. "They want the media there so that they can record this historic event!"

Sam began to yawn again. She had hoped this "news" would be something more important.

' _Ghosts. Yeah, right, even if they exist, why does it matter?'_

* * *

"And so, without further ado, we will now plug in our Fenton Portal and introduce the world to a whole new realm of mystery and wonder!" Maddie Fenton declared.

Maddie and Jack Fenton had been working on this project since they met in college, and Jack had been interested in ghosts even before that. As long as he could remember, his family, mainly his mother, had been researching ghosts, and he had decided to continue the legacy.

When he had met Maddie in college, he got her interested as well, and things just clicked. Ever since, they had been working on finding a way into the realm of ghosts, and today they just might have done it.

The whole press had turned out for the event, as they had expected. Channel 5, Channel 7, even CNN, which was a _national_ network.

With the anticipation rising, Maddie quickly typed a passcode into the keyboard on the wall, then grabbed the giant plug and inserted it into the adjacent outlet.

There were a few green sparks, then nothing. Jack's face, which had been wildly excited, changed quickly to disappointed. Every calculation had been correct. Every circuit was in the right place. Every single little detail had been checked over and over. So then, why wasn't it working?

As if planned, all the press members let out a sigh in unison. Maddie felt she had to say something.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, well, there must have been some sort of calculation error. We'll look over our notes and have it up and running within the week, honest," she said to the people who were watching.

"You heard it here, guys; we'll have news as it arrives. This is Bob Jones with CNN, signing off," one of the newsmen said into the camera.

The press all gathered their stuff and left, looks of disappointment on their faces.

"Wow, Mads, I thought it would work this time…" Jack sighed as he went up stairs.

"Me too, honey. Me too."

* * *

It was late, very late. The Fenton lab was completely empty. The nonworking portal was still there, not working. It was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly the room was illuminated by a bright green light. It was coming from the portal, which had suddenly begun to show a swirling green realm from within.

A figure emerged. He looked like a young boy, probably no more than 18, and he seemed really nervous, not too sure of what he was doing. He had to be a ghost, coming from within the portal after all. He started to look around.

"Wow, these guys really weren't messing around when it comes to ghost experiments," he pondered out loud.

Maybe a little too loudly; suddenly the door at the top of the stairs opened and a voice could be heard.

"Who's down there?!" Maddie Fenton called as she walked down the stairs. The boy was trapped. He had no idea what to do. He hadn't had a chance to experiment with his powers yet; he had only 'resurrected' that morning.

Maddie made it to the bottom of the stairs and froze.

"Jack! Jack! Get down here! You have to see this!"

She couldn't believe it. All their hard work had paid off, for the portal was working, an eerie green color lighting the empty lab


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

The Fentons spent the rest of the night in their lab, trying to figure out why their portal was suddenly working, but no amount of investigation got them any closer to an answer.

"I just don't get it. Everything was plugged in this morning, so why didn't it work until tonight?" Jack wondered.

Maddie was just as excited about the portal, but she was also very tired.

"Jack, can't we just admit that it's working now and earlier doesn't matter?" Maddie asked with a yawn.

"Madddiiieee, my whole family has been studying ghosts for almost fifty years! I can't just stop now because…" he yawned, "we're…" another yawn, "tired…"

Jack was trying to protest; after all these years, he couldn't just give up now. But he had to admit that even he was about to pass out.

"Honey, I know it's important to you and your family history, but we both know you'll do better with a good night's rest." Maddie put her hand on her husband's shoulder and slowly led him toward the stairs. Jack, despite wanting to protest, slowly took her lead.

They had started to head up stairs when Maddie turned around. "Hold on." She paused, as if she knew someone was watching. After a few seconds she walked toward the portal. "I guess we should turn this off before we go to bed," she said, hitting the power button on the portal before following Jack upstairs.

As soon as the door closed, the boy reappeared.

' _They had to close it, didn't they!'_ he complained silently. He had managed to become invisible when the Fentons had come down, and had spent the last few hours invisible, trying not to make a sound. The invisibility thing was the only part of his "powers" that he knew how to do, so he was pretty much stuck in the lab, unable to leave.

"I didn't plan on staying out here!" He floated to the ground and landed silently. Upon reaching the ground, he walked over to the power button.

He stared blankly at it, unable to comprehend the type of technology that had to be in this device. Reaching with his gloved hand tried to activate the portal doors, but without the secret password he was out of luck.

"Great…" he sighed. "I guess I'm stuck here…I wish I at least knew how to get out of this lab. I'd like to see what's happened to this town."

The boy had only been resurrected the previous day and barely remembered his story. The things he did know had mostly been told to him by the ghost who had resurrected him – his name, his hometown, a brief synopsis of how he died, how much time had passed and why he had needed to be resurrected.

As if his "body" was answering him, his hand suddenly fell through the wall, having become intangible. The rest of his body soon followed suit.

"Wow, I wish I knew how to control that!" he told himself as he flew out of the lab and into the open air.

It had been a while since he had seen the night sky, and he had never flown in it before, but he knew he'd be doing it a lot more often. The feeling was exhilarating, something he had never experienced before. Maybe being a ghost wouldn't be too bad.

Looking down, bits and pieces of the town he felt he knew came back to him, but those same bits were transformed due to time: New houses, streets and lights. Weird dish shaped objects attached to rooftops and people walking around talking into odd handheld devices.

Just as he was starting to enjoy the flight, he heard police sirens coming from down the street. Naturally, he was a very curious ghost, so he decided to investigate.

As he got closer, he saw that there was a burning building with firemen standing out front.

"I don't know, Joe. It's too hot for us to go in," one said.

"Yeah, but there's a kid in there!" the other replied.

Feeling an innate pull from somewhere inside him, he found himself flying straight into the building.

* * *

Sam woke up early the next morning, something she usually didn't do. As she walked into the kitchen, she could hear the news coming from the TV on the counter.

"The Fentons are still hard at work on figuring out the mystery of their portal, but for now they are both just happy that it's working," the commentator was saying.

"We just found it on last night, and we can't quite figure out why it's suddenly working," Maddie said to the camera.

"Yesterday was supposed to be the big day, but when they plugged it in, nothing happened," the commentator continued as a clip of Maddie plugging the portal in with no success aired.

"Now that the portal is working, we plan to investigate the Ghost Zone, the world where ghosts reside, further than anyone ever has," Jack told the reporter before the screen flashed back to the station.

"Wow, Mary, who knew that it was possible to explore other worlds?" Bob, the male reporter asked his co-anchor.

"And speaking of impossible, listen to this story," Mary said to the camera and the screen flipped to a new video. "Firefighters were called out late last night when a massive fire broke out at Amity Apartments, but that's not the strange part of the story. We managed to catch this on tape."

The screen panned to a clip of what looked like a person flying by the screen, holding a boy in his arms. He landed on the ground and dropped the boy before flying off. The screen never once caught a good glimpse of what had saved that boy.

"If anyone knows who or what saved this young boy, please call the station," Bobsaid.

"And that's all for your morning report! See you all back here at noon!" Mary finished as the screen went black.

_'I wonder what that was about,'_ Sam thought as she grabbed her backpack and left, her mind suddenly interested in more than just the usual walk to school.

* * *

"Did you hear about the portal?" Tucker asked Sam at school.

"Yeah, but that's not what I was interested in," Sam told her friend.

"Really? You weren't thinking about that fire were you?"

"Yeah, I kind of was. It's just so mysterious, you know?" Sam started.

"I guess, but not really…"

Tucker,while very interested in science and technology, found it hard to get completely interested in spirits and paranormal science: he liked science he could prove. "So I was thinking on the way to school, the portal is suddenly working and then this flying 'person' appears and saves a kid from a fire," Sam continued as they walked to class.

"So…" Tucker yawned.

"So, maybe it's a ghost!" Sam finished.

"Seriously, Sam, what has gotten into you? You never care about this stuff, and suddenly you're talking about ghosts!" Tucker told his friend as they entered the classroom. "Just don't worry about it. It's not your problem anyway."

"You may be right," Sam admitted, trying to please her friend.

' _Must be interesting to be a ghost…'_

* * *

After that night of the fire, the ghost had decided something. If he was going to be stuck here anyway, he might as well help out. If the local law enforcement was anything like it was 50 years ago, his help would be a much needed service to the city.

And that's why the next time he heard another siren, he flew behind the cop cars, invisible, and followed them to the scene of the problem.

This time it was a car accident. Apparently a mattress truck had lost control coming off the interstate, and now traffic was backed up.

_'Perfect chance to try out some more skills,'_ he thought. He flew down, grabbed the truck and flew over to the empty field, where he placed it on the ground before flying back to the accident.

He wasn't expecting to be caught on tape, but that's what awaited him as he appeared back by the accident spot.

Confused by crazy, blinking machines being pointed at him, he tried to act normal, realizing that they must be recording him. In all honesty, he didn't want to be on TV at all, but he was stuck.

"Hey! You, hero! What's your purpose?" one reporter was yelling.

"Where are you from?" another called.

"What's your name?" a third added.

He didn't have time for this. He didn't want to be on TV, or be a some big shot hero. He had just wanted to help people.

"Phantom!" he quickly blurted out before he flew off.

"You heard it here, folks. The mysterious hero is Amity's own PHANTOM!" one reporter said to the camera.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been a few weeks since Phantom had begun saving people and appearing on the news, and it was all Sam could think about.

The media could barely catch a glimpse of the boy: he wasn't too keen about being caught on tape. Maybe that's what intrigued Sam. Or maybe it was that she was finally starting to feel lonely. Maybe even more than lonely. Depressed. Anxious. Ready for something new. But every time the cameras caught a decent glimpse of Phantom, he looked lonely also, and she'd feel at least a bit better.

The loneliness had really come into existence come a few days ago, when the banners began appearing in school for the upcoming Homecoming Dance.

Sam was known as the school goth, by her own choice of course, but that title came with assumption that she was some depressed, emo girl.

And maybe some days she was, but that didn't mean she couldn't go to a dance and enjoy herself.

Sure, she could go with Tucker, but that would just be weird, and if word got out about it… well, frankly, there were better alternatives.

So yes, she was beginning to feel a bit lonely. But in seeing that boy on TV, she'd perk up a little; he looked even worse off than she was.

Phantom sat atop the local record store, watching as people came and went from within it's ultra-modern glass doors, yet never daring to step inside himself: The part of him that was drawn to this store didn't want to change the faint memories it held. However, seeing so many different people all coming together in the pursuit of music made him smile. And lately there hadn't been much else to smile about. Saving people all the time had become rather tedious. Local authorities had started to assume he'd show up, so they wouldn't even worry about doing anything anymore.

Having spent his former life in Amity Park, being resurrected to this place was only natural, and really the only perk to all this. The town had changed a lot, and it was enjoyable to see what had happened over the years. He had never planned on saving people when he came back, but the situation had arisen and he had been up for the challenge…at least in the beginning. Now, though, he was bored.

Even his daily check-in on the Fentons couldn't relieve the boredom, despite the fact that something new was always happening in that lab. Whether it be another portal experiment, a new weapon or one of Jack's stupid mistakes, the Fentons were always up to something. Phantom knew that he needed to keep an eye on them, even if just to learn more about their research, so he found himself invisibly watching on a daily basis.

He had popped in earlier that morning, just to see if anything was happening, only to find Jack alone at the desk, punching away at some high tech device, starting at a luminous screen.

"Stupid computer. I should have just let Maddie handle this!" he grumbled as he angrily typed something else on the keyboard. "I don't even know how to work this thing half the time!"

Curious, Phantom floated a little bit closer to see what Jack was up to.

"There's gotta be something in here about ghosts and genetics!"

'Ghosts and genetics?' Phantom found himself thinking. 'What could he possibly need that information for? And how is he going to get that from in there?'

He had come to realize in the few days he had been out that society was not the little bit he remembered. All these modern devices that were supposed to make life easier were nothing more to confusing for the ghost boy.

'Shouldn't he be looking in a book?'

"Mom always knew he was out there, somewhere, and now that this portal is open, there's a chance to find out. If I could only figure out the genetic aspect of it all!"

A small knot formed in the bottom of his stomach as a few memories began to come back. He had known there was a connection between him and Jack, but he hadn't been told much more than that upon his resurrection . Now that he was hanging out in the lab more, he was realizing how deep the connection actually ran.

Phantom had heard enough, and honestly couldn't stomach much more. As much as he needed to know about what Jack was up to, he just didn't think that watching him punch away at something he didn't understand was going to solve that problem.

Vowing to return when the lab was empty to search for more clues, he invisibly floated away.

Reflecting on that morning, he had yet to come to any more conclusions. He had a connection to the Fentons, something he had been told from the start. But the exact connection had yet to become clear. He had hoped that by visiting the lab on a daily basis, things would come back to him, but so far all he had felt were painful hints of memories past.

Of course, he had contemplated going back to the Ghost Zone. The Fentons were always opening that portal for testing, so it wouldn't be hard. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized he was better off out here. He didn't know the Zone well, having only been resurrected the same morning of the portal's opening, so it may not be the safest choice.

'If only there was some way I could just remember everything and be normal again…'

Sam's days were always the same. Go to school, learn "something new," eat lunch with Tucker, listen to Mr. Lancer's lectures on something boring, then walk home alone, thinking about why she put up with everything she did. Today was no different.

Everyone was talking about the stupid dance, which happened to be that night. Meanwhile, she was trying to hide the disappointment as best as she could.

She had finally caved and planned to ask Tucker (as a friend!) to the dance that day at lunch. But before she could even take a bite of her turf-wich, Tucker had come skipping up to the table.

"Guess what Sam!?" he said, sounding a lot perkier than usual.

"Hmmmm… New PDA?" she asked jokingly.

"Oh I wish! This 300gig I just got is ALREADY FULL!"

"Really Tuck? That much heavy metal music?" she joked.

That was the type of relationship they had. He'd mention technology and she'd throw in a good joke. They had come to expect that at their little lunch table.

Sam picked at her food, waiting for Tucker to tell her the news so she could finally ask him about the dance.

"Heavy metal, I mean really? Sam you can think of way better jokes… Now what was I saying? Oh yea!" His eyes got bright and his smile widened.

"Valerie asked me to the dance!"

Sam swallowed her grass a little too hard, and needed a large sip of water before she could respond. And when she could speak again, she had to hide the pain in her voice.

"Really Tucker!? That's awesome! I know you've been eyeing her for awhile. I wonder what made her come around?"

"Oh you know, my good looks for one," he responded as he pretended to pop his collar.

"Haha, right…" Sam looked down at her meal, suddenly not hungry.

Sam kept walking, thinking about the day and Tucker's excitement. She was truly happy for her friend – and that's all she knew they would ever be – but if someone could ask him, why hadn't she found a date yet? She was goth, not the plague. And she knew for a fact some of the nerds eyed her from behind on the days she wore the shorter skirts.

'Not that I want to date a total perv… but…'

Even just having someone to walk home with would have been nice.

Phantom's day had been just as boring as Sam's.

He had managed to save at least three more people from the usual – car accidents, muggings, etc - maybe more. He wasn't counting anymore.

It was while he was taking a break on top of the local burger joint, about to head over to the Fentons', when he saw her.

She was walking alone, head down, carrying a purple backpack; school must have just ended. She wore a black tank top with a black and green skirt, purple socks and black combat boots. Something about her had caught his attention, but it wasn't until she looked up randomly, as if she knew she was being watched, that he was trapped. Her eyes were a deep violet, and there was something extremely familiar about them. He remembered those eyes, as if they were…

'Why does she seem so familiar,' he thought, another knot forming in his stomach, telling him he should remember something he wasn't. 'Maybe I should go talk to her. She looks lonely.'

He got up and was about to fly down and strike up a conversation when a boy came running up behind her, causing Phantom to stop dead in his tracks.

"Sam! Hey, Sam!" the boy called.

Upon hearing her name, Sam turned around to see none other than Dash Baxter.

"Dash," she said through her teeth, "what do YOU want?" She turned away and started walking again.

"Well, I don't have a date for the dance tonight, and well, ummmm… I was wondering…" He was shuddering.

"You mean Paulina finally realized that she deserved better?" Sam asked him curtly, turning around. She knew where this was going, and wasn't sure she liked it.

"Well I wouldn't have put it that way, but I guess. Anyway, do you want to go to the dance? I really need a date," Dash asked. Dash was not the brightest guy, so what Sam had said barely seemed to faze him.

"So you're asking me out of pity," Sam concluded.

"Huh? Well I need a date, if that's what you mean," Dash said, his intelligence level definitely showing.

Sam just rolled her eyes. She hated how shallow Dash was, but she also really wanted to go to the dance; that dress in her closet was gathering dust.

"Fine, pick me up at six," she told him before turning around one last time and heading home.

Sure it was Dash, but it was still a date for the dance, and that alone put a small smile on Sam's face.

The ghost had really wanted to talk to that girl, and he would have if that boy hadn't come along.

The rest of the day, she was all he could think about. There was something about that girl that was different, yet very familiar.

He had honestly not found any purpose in sticking around Amity Park, but now maybe he could. If only that girl were available… He was not about to steal her from someone; he wasn't that type.

And so he would wait. Wait until she needed him. And until then, he'd just continue to do what he had been doing, but now with more enthusiasm.


	5. Chapter 4

"Mom, seriously, I would rather do this myself!"

Sam was sitting on her mom's frilly pink bed, trying to be patient.

"Oh come on Sammykins, no boy would want to see you in a dress that makes it look like you're going to a funeral."

' _Just because YOU'D rather see me in pink…'_

Sam had walked home with a little more perk after Dash had asked her to the dance. She knew it was just Dash, and that there was probably a motive behind it, but that didn't matter.

Unfortunately for her, her mother had noticed the perk and forced Sam to come clean.

And after seeing the dress Sam had intended to wear—well, that just wasn't going to work.

"I think I found it! I've been saving this dress for exactly this occasion!" her mom cheered as she walked out of her walk-in closet holding the most frilly, lacey, flowery, PINK dress Sam had ever seen.

' _Oh, god, what have I gotten myself into?'_

"Mom, seriously, I think any boy would rather see me in… a 'funeral' dress… than THAT," Sam commented as she got up and began to walk out the door.

"Well, I am not having my daughter go to a school dance dressed like she's mourning the dead," Mrs. Manson protested.

' _I may have a real reason to mourn the dead pretty soon…'_

"Geeze, I can hear you two all the way downstairs!"

Both ladies turned to look as Sam's grandmother rolled herself and her wheelchair into the room.

"Now, Pamela, as my daughter-in-law, I must say that you are pushing that girl way too far. You wonder why she does the things she does? It's because of the way you treat her."

' _Go Grandma!'_

"So you want her to go to the dance looking all black and somber?" Pamela asked rather rudely.

"I'm not saying that, but I do want her to have fun," Grandma finished.

There was no argument left: Sam had won, thanks to her grandma.

* * *

"Thank you SO much Grandma! I look amazing!"

Sam was in her own bathroom now, spending an unusual amount of time in front of the mirror, something she usually didn't do.

She had finally gotten to change into HER dress, which was purple and black with fishnet sleeves, and yes, lace.

Along with that she had applied a little bit of purple eye shadow and lipstick. The whole outfit had become complete when she added her green and black heels and fingerless gloves.

"Honey, any boy who doesn't go for you tonight would be out of his mind!" her grandma told her with a smile.

"Well, I guess I better be going. I can't be late…" Sam said skeptically as she headed towards the stairs.

"Just remember to have fun!"

* * *

Sam was supposed to meet Dash at the restaurant,which had her a little nervous as to whether he'd actually be there waiting for her.

He was.

He himself was in a tux with, to Sam's horror, a pink underlay.

"Hey, Sam. Wow! You look amazing!"

His eyes got rather big as he examined her.

"And you look… amazing… too," she choked out.

Sensing her awkward gaze, he quickly added, "I'm sorry that I don't match. It's just that I originally was going with Paulina, and her dress is pink, so…"

' _He sounds genuinely sorry. Something must be up. Dash is NEVER this nice!'_

"It's okay, I understand!" She stopped him halfway through his monologue.

"Well to make it up to you, I did get this."

He held out his hand and in it was a corsage of purple and black flowers.

Sam's mouth dropped open, it was beautiful. She quickly held out her arm to let Dash fasten it on.

"Wow, Dash, what else can I say? Thank you!"

"Ahhh, it's nothing really. Say, how 'bout we go inside?"

Dash had picked "Cow-a-bunga" as the location for their fancy night out, and while Sam had been initially worried, research had shown that they served salads. Still, any place that called itself "Cow-a-bunga" couldn't be all that nice.

She found herself laughing as Dash opened the door for her, only to find out that her guess was right. While not "The Nasty Burger," it wasn't a five-star by any means. People were sitting on top of barrels at picnic-like tables, munching on peanuts as the shells fell to the ground. Surrounding the main dining room was a fence, behind which, to Sam's horror, were live cows.

' _I swear if Dash's steak is that fresh, I'm walking out.'_

"Well Howdy, Y'all!" the hostess greeted as she showed them to their table in the back. "You two must be headed towards the dance! We've got a special spot just for you!" She winked at Sam, as if she thought they'd want alone time.

Yes she was on a date, and was heading to a dance, but the thought of kissing Dash made her want to vomit a bit.

Sam sat down and began looking at the menu, trying to find her ideal salad. Dash grabbed the peanut bucket and began throwing nuts into his mouth, shell and all. The look of disdain on Sam's face quickly stopped him, however.

"I hold the record for most peanuts shelled in my mouth!" he said as bits of nut spewed everywhere, including Sam's dress.

' _Good for you…'_

Somehow, the idea of not getting a word in with Dash didn't actually displease her though; what would they even talk about?

"What can I get ya'll tonight?" the overly perky waitress said as she approached the table. Sam opened her mouth to order a garden salad but before she could even say the g-sound, Dash chimed in.

"Two steaks, extra rare! With extra fries!"

Sam's eyes grew huge in horror, thinking back to the time that she and Tucker had visited the buffet and Tucker had eaten five rare steaks in one sitting.

"Dash… I… I mean… I can't—" she started to choke out, but the server was already gone.

' _Guess I'll starve through the dance…'_

* * *

Phantom couldn't bring himself to patrol. Not since seeing _her._ So instead, he found himself again at the music store.

' _I wonder what kind of music she likes,'_ he thought, probably more often than anyone should.

He just couldn't keep her out of his mind; there was something about that girl and those EYES that reminded him of his life—if only he could figure it out.

Maybe he was just living in the past, but a nagging feeling in him knew there was more to it than just that. Almost as if when he looked at her, he saw himself.

She looked so lonely and sad , the way he himself had been feeling.

But he was a ghost! He couldn't feel emotions for a human girl, could he?

This was stuff he had contemplated all day, until finally his head hurt and he knew he needed to go for a fly, even if just to get some air.

* * *

' _What have I gotten myself into? This is such a disaster.'_

It had been about a half hour since they had entered the dance. In that time, Sam had had about fifteen glasses of punch, trying to make herself full after refusing to eat her steak, but was only succeeding in multiple trips to the bathroom.

They had yet to actually dance.

And Dash was beginning to get very impatient with his date.

"Come on, Sam! Why can't we dance?"

"Because THAT—" she pointed to the dance floor where all the girls were leaning backwards against all their partners, "is not dancing. That is a bunch of girls acting like prostitutes and showing their conformity," she concluded.

Dash just stood there like the light in the attic had just burned out.

"Soooo, are we EVER going to dance?"

It was as if fate had answered his question. The rap music had suddenly changed to a slow song: something you couldn't grind to.

' _Finally! Rap music is getting sooo old.'_

"Yes, how about now?" Sam said, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the dance floor.

It was apparent as soon as they started dancing that Dash had never slow danced before. They clunked around the floor like gorillas, until Sam finally stopped him and decided to lead instead.

"Okay, Dash, follow MY lead now. Trust me, this can work."

And it did; they began to move much more smoothly and actually flow with the music.

Sam was so busy enjoying herself for once that she didn't even notice they were dancing right next to Paulina and her date.

But Dash did.

Suddenly their dancing got chunkier again as Dash became distracted with Paulina.

"So, Sam, I'm really enjoying my night! We may have to go out again sometime!" he said loudly and not really to her.

"Ummm, yeah, sure?" Sam replied as she tried to keep dancing. It was getting pretty difficult.

' _What is up with him?'_

She was lost in her thoughts when he did it. He leaned over rather awkwardly and grabbed her head, pushing it towards him. The next thing she knew, his lips were smashed into hers and he wasn't even looking into her eyes, he was looking to his right.

' _Whoa, hold on… what is going on?'_

Struggling to breathe, she turned and looked too. He was staring at Paulina, who had stopped dancing and was standing with her arms crossed, probably trying to figure out why Dash would even want to kiss Sam.

' _Oh. My. Gosh.'_

Sam pulled away so fast, Dash actually had to struggle to keep his balance.

"DASH BAXTER!" she said loud enough to cause the rest of the dancers who weren't watching to start.

Dash's eyes got wide as he tried to figure out what he had done, but he couldn't.

"What?" was all he could muster up.

"Oh, you know what!" And that's all she said as she turned around and ran off, tears already coming from her eyes.

' _He used me! That's the only reason I'm even here tonight—so he could get HER back! He's such a pathetic, over-buffed, brainless JOCK!'_

' _And you knew it Manson. The second he asked you knew! And yet you let him play with your brain like maybe, just maybe, he could show a little decency for once._

She was so busy crying that she didn't even know where she was headed. All she knew was that she had found a door and gone through it.

Now she found herself on the gym roof, having awkwardly run up the stairs behind the door without looking back.

' _Okay, so how did I end up here of all places?'_

She walked over to the edge and looked down. It was rather high. In fact, if one fell, they'd get pretty hurt….

' _No, Sam, don't even think about jumping.'_

' _But he's pathetic. YOU'RE PATHETIC!'_

Her mind was fighting a losing war, and she just wanted it to shut up.

Unfortunately, there was really only one clear solution to that problem. She found herself looking down again. The ground didn't seem that far now. In fact, she could just take a step and she'd probably be safe, right?

' _Sam Manson, don't YOU DARE!'_

' _This was supposed to be a good night and instead it's the worst. I just need it to end…'_

' _But not this way, and not now. There are other options.'_

' _Like what? Turning around and going back there?! I don't think so!'_

One foot off the ledge. Sam was feeling dizzy. Her heart was beating fast. She couldn't breathe.

"No turning back now."

She looked down. The ground was right there; she could just take that second step and keep on walking.

Closing her eyes, she began to count out loud.

"One…."

"Two…"

"Three…"

Her second foot left the platform.

* * *

The night air helped his head; thoughts of the Fentons and that girl slowly dissipated as he flew faster and faster through the clouds. Looking down on the town, he could see the twinkle of city lights as the world reflected back the stars from above.

' _Flying will always be my favorite.'_

It had been a long day though, and Phantom was getting ready to call it quits. Slowing down, he thought about where he'd want to spend his night- he had yet to settle on an actual "home." But to his surprise, his thoughts were interrupted by a faint voice coming from the nearby high school.

" _No turning back now."_

Naturally, he was intrigued. Who would be at the high school at this hour?

Because he was a ghost, and a very curious one at that, he had to see what was going on.

Flying closer, he gasped.

It was HER. The girl he had been daydreaming about all day. There she was, all dressed up, standing with one foot off the edge of the gym roof.

She looked pale, and suddenly Phantom knew what must have happened. That boy from earlier was nothing but a creep, and it made him sick. He wanted to find that kid and knock him out.

He stopped. What was he thinking? This girl was in trouble and all he could do was think about hurting the boy. Pathetic.

Phantom wasn't used to confronting humans; besides those stupid reporters, he had never really done so. But he knew what he wanted to do.

He flew in closer, having made his decision. He was going to hover, watch over her, and if she decided to do what he thought she had planned, he'd move in.

" _One…"_

" _Two…"_

" _Three…"_

He saw her second foot leave the rooftop and that was his cue.

* * *

She didn't feel the ground. Was she still falling? The roof hadn't been that high.

She felt the wind, like maybe she was falling sideways. Or maybe someone was holding her? Was this what death felt like? Was she dead? She had to know.

Opening her eyes, she let out a squeak of both shock and relief.

Phantom.

The mysterious ghost from the TV was carrying her. Flying with her. Taking her away from the dark hell that was the school.

' _Did I just do what I think I did?'_

' _Did he just save me from doing what I think I did?'_

' _Is this all really happening?'_

Whoever this boy was, he suddenly looked down and smiled. He seemed happy to see her awake. Safe.

"You really scared me for a moment," he said as she blinked back at him, too afraid to speak.

* * *

He could tell she was in shock. After all, attempting something like that would leave anyone in such a state, let alone that plus being saved by a flying ghost.

They needed to find somewhere to stop, talk, and figure out a plan. Preferably somewhere on the ground in case she wanted to attempt anything again.

He looked around, scanning the area for a park bench or empty yard, or really anywhere safe, until he finally found an abandoned playground.

' _Good enough. Let's figure this out.'_

"You're probably in shock, so you don't have to speak. But I'm going to stop and put you down. We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 5

He seemed so different in person—or err ghost.

Sam was so used to seeing him on TV that she had never noticed how real he seemed. Yes, he was definitely a ghost—the tail, glow, and faint transparency gave that away–but he didn't seem dead. To her, he was just another boy reaching out a hand.

She didn't realize she hadn't spoken until he softly landed at the park and put her down.

To be honest, Sam didn't know what to say. Here he was, the figure of her recent dreams, having just saved her life, and all she could was stare.

'Say something, anything!'

He beat her to it.

"I knew when I saw him that boy would hurt you."

'Whoa, not expecting that…'

"How'd you—?" she started before she saw his face blush slightly as he turned away.

"It's nothing; just patrolling, you know." He laughed a little.

She just kept staring.

So much had happened that night. Dinner. The dance. Dash. The roof. Falling.

FALLING! Had she really attempted that ? After all, it had been in the back of her mind for a while now, but she never thought she'd go through with it.

'Lucky for you he was out and about tonight, or you'd be floating yourself.'

She knew it was a serious situation, but somehow she couldn't get the idea of becoming a ghost out of her head. Maybe that was her way of making light of things.

"Anyway, I know that you don't know me, but I want to help."

Sam snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice again and for the first time truly looked him in the eyes.

Until now, she thought she'd known enough about him. The sad savior from TV. But now that she had a chance to truly see him, she saw more.

She saw depression: the idea that every day would bring the same thing, and that there really was no way out of it.

She saw pain: not having a real purpose or how long he'd have to continue acting the hero.

She saw herself: longing for an escape but not knowing how.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say.

He saw that look in her eyes and knew that she was trying to take it all in. It had been an experience for them both.

He wanted to help, he really did. He saw a part of himself in her up on that roof. The part that just wanted it to all end. But unlike her, he didn't have that choice. Unlike her, he couldn't just end it. And maybe that was why he had helped.

"You don't need to be sorry. If anyone needs to be sorry, it's me. For not letting you do what you needed to do back there."

He could see the tears starting to form in her eyes, the black makeup smearing across her face as she tried to blink them away.

"No really, I'm sorry," she said. "You shouldn't have to deal with my emotional roller coaster."

She stopped, looked away, rubbed her arm on her face, further smearing her mascara, then turned back.

"But thank you for saving my life…"

Now it was his turn to look closer. The strong girl he had discovered that morning, completely flawed and vulnerable.

The sadness he had noticed earlier was much more apparent now that he had saved her life, and he knew that there was more behind it than just the dance. Something deeper had been building up for a while.

How long, he could not tell, but if it was anything like the depression he had begun to feel himself, he knew that the dance had been the tipping point, and that he had discovered her at just the right moment.

'Maybe we saved each other.'

But even with this revelation, he was unsure what to do next. How he could help?

He remembered what had made him happy when he first came to town, before all the pressure to save people had begun, and he let a small smile creep onto his face.

"Take my hand. I want to show you something."

Sam hesitated. He had saved her life, but could she trust him?

She took his hand, but resisted the pull as she looked into his eyes. The eyes of her savior, but also the eyes of someone lonely. Someone like her.

Could she trust him?

Yes. She could.

She let all other thoughts slip away as the duo left the ground.

Flying was like nothing she had ever experienced.

Phantom was graceful and careful as he held her waist, Sam staring up at him the whole time.

Of all of his features, those bright green eyes were what had drawn her in, They were so mysterious, as if Phantom was trying to hide something much worse than she could imagine.

The night's sadness slowly began to lessen; in fact, she had almost forgotten about her attempt entirely. The sadness she'd felt was now replaced with sadness for her savior.

'He must get really stressedsaving people all day.'

Sadness fading, she finally was ready to have a normal conversation.

"Doesn't it get annoying saving people all day?"

He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the girl in his arms, trying to figure out what had prompted this topic.

"You haven't said a word this whole time, and when you do that's it? You seem so much more intelligent than that."

He seemed amused, and Sam had no idea why.

"I mean, being forced to save people must suck," she added to clarify.

He grimaced at the word "suck" but continued to listen anyway.

"Like, lately, every time something happens around here, the police assume you'll be there to help."

His grimace turned to a small smile and he thought about what she said.

"True, but I also knew when I started this could happen. I've seen it before. Incompetent government officials and all that."

As he said that, Sam let out a small laugh, something she hadn't done all day.

Her laugh made him smile, and his smile made her smile, and somehow that made everything seem better.

They kept flying for a bit while Sam thought of another question.

"Before? As in, your first life?"

'Somehow I knew that'd come up eventually…'

All he could really remember were vague details of his death, but nothing specific.

'And her eyes…' He shoved that idea to the back of his brain for later.

"Honestly, I can't really remember. I just know that there's something in me that has this urge to save people," he said, looking down into her violet eyes.

Somehow, that seemed to be enough, for she kept a hold of his hand and urged the flight to continue.

Phantom knew where she lived, so he had no excuse for not taking her home.

That didn't mean he was going to go there right away.

It was her first flight, and he wanted it to be special, because she was special.

They hadn't said another word since the questions, but he was okay with that; she seemed to be enjoying herself.

'Hopefully this won't be the last time.'

Sam was thinking the same thing.

'I want to stay up here forever.'

But it was getting late, and no matter how much she wanted to stay in his arms, she knew she had to get home.

She did have a curfew, after all.

'Grandma might get worried.'

As if he had read her mind, Phantom took a final turn, and the Manson house came into sight.

Phantom landed gracefully on the porch and put her down quietly.

"How'd you know where—?" she started, but was interrupted as he put a finger to her lips.

"Don't ask any more questions. Just close your eyes."

'I can't even breathe,' she thought as she felt him lightly kiss her cheek.

The last thing she heard was his whisper, "Patrolling," before he was gone into the night.

The living room light was on when Sam dazedly opened the door.

'He kissed me! Wait, can ghosts kiss?'

Her mind was busy when the voice broke in.

"Honey, you're late. Was everything all right?"

'Great, not now…'

She smiled absently as her mom came over.

"Patrolling… I mean, yeah, it was great!" Her voice was suddenly two octaves higher as she fibbed.

"Patrolling? Sammy, you look awful!"

Her mom's eyes got bigger as she noticed her daughter's messy hair, running make-up, and disheveled dress.

That's when Sam remembered the dance.

Until now, Phantom had made her forget what had happened before.

"Dash," she grimaced through gritted teeth.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Mom! The dance was fine!" she lied as Phantom's face came back into her mind. "I need to sleep, though, so good night!"

"Good—" was all her mom got out before Sam was in her room with the door closed.

Sam hit the bed without even changing clothes, and the smile remained on her face as she went to sleep.

'He sure is good at patrolling.'


	7. Chapter 6

"Samantha! Wake up!"

Sam rolled over at the sound of her mother yelling – something she didn't do often.

"Hmmm?" she asked as she slowly rubbed her eyes.

"Honey, you're going to be late for school AND you're still wearing your dress!"

Sam looked down at herself, only to find that her mother was right: she had fallen asleep in her clothes from the night before. Even her hair was still done up, although it was a total mess by now, and she could feel the smeared makeup across her cheeks.

"Uhhh," was all she could say as she stood up and wandered into her giant bathroom, not wanting to go to school.

"Breakfast is on the counter when you're ready, but you better hurry!" her mom said as she left the room.

As Sam took off her dress and looked in the mirror, she slowly began to remember the night before. Dinner. The dance. Dash. What she had almost done.

And who had stopped her.

' _If it wasn't for Phantom, I wouldn't be standing here right now,'_ she thought with a blush as she combed through her hair.

Just thinking about him and what he had done brought a smile to her tired face. He had saved her. He had been there when no one else was. He had KISSED her. Yes, on the cheek, but it was still a kiss…

' _Phantom…'_ Those glowing green eyes suddenly appeared in her head, followed by a mess of white hair and a smile.

* * *

Phantom didn't feel like patrolling today. Or anymore at all really. She was on his mind again, with her sad, haunting eyes and gorgeous black hair.

The previous night had been an adventure for them both, but perhaps him more than her. He had discovered something about himself after his "rescue," and that was that he didn't need to be the hero all the time. Just because a cop car sounded didn't mean he had to go running after it. And he definitely didn't need let the town assume he'd always save the day.

' _One day off isn't going to kill anyone,'_ he thought as he flew towards Casper High, not fully aware of his reasoning.

From afar he could see the students entering, ready for another long day of classes. He looked down to see if she was there, but her shiny black hair was nowhere to be seen.

' _After last night, I'm not too surprised.'_

He wasn't sure why he was looking for her anyway; he hadn't planned to approach her again so soon. But something about those eyes and the desperation in her actions had drawn him closer to her than anyone he'd been near for a long time.

' _I just hope she's OK…'_

As if on cue, he looked down one last time and his face broke into a large smile. There she was, backpack in hand, quickly running into the building, obviously late. He let out a small chuckle as he headed to the Fenton's for his usual checkup.

* * *

Today in the lab, to his surprise, Phantom found Maddie alone; while she was definitely smarter, Maddie had yet to be spotted in the lab without Jack in tow.

"Ugh, Jack, I know you're trying to find answers, but this is NOT the way to do it!" she grumbled to herself as she adjusted the pressure on the ecto-filtrator for the portal.

Curious as always, Phantom flew closer. He was getting pretty good at the whole "invisible snooping" thing, and therefore felt little remorse from listening in.

"Turning it up ALL THE WAY is not going do any good besides letting in more ghosts," she sighed as she turned around, walking straight through Phantom.

She felt a slight shiver in doing so, but thought nothing of it as the portal always emitted a ghostly chill.

Phantom however, felt a bit off. He had never really had anyone walk THROUGH him, and thus the whole experience was a bit foreign. But he didn't have time to contemplate that as he watched Maddie approach her computer.

' _Something about that machine, it gives people answers, explains things,'_ he thought as he flew closer.

Maddie tapped the controller, bringing the screen to life and opening up what Jack had left on.

It took everything in his ecotoplasm not to let out a loud gasp as his face suddenly appeared on the screen. But it wasn't his face. The face of this boy had black hair, blue eyes and a happy smile as he stood next to his red-headed sister.

"Oh Jack, I wish you'd stop pulling up these old photos!" Maddie said quietly as she moved the little pointer to the 'x' in the corner. She closed the page, but not before Phantom could read the caption at the top.

"Danny and Jazz (mom)."

_Danny._

_Danny._

_DANNY._

Memories came flooding back like a blow to the head as Phantom tried to grasp what he was remembering.

The connection, the one he had to Jack, became suddenly clear as he tried not to make any noise. The girl in that photo, the red head, was his sister, Jack's mom. Which meant…

"Nephew…" he breathed silently.

Maddie flipped around, grabbing a small device from her belt and aiming it at the , Phantom did the only thing he could do: he flew away.

* * *

Sam was slowly falling into a void. Even Tucker, her best friend, couldn't pull her out.

"Sam, can you please just tell me how the dance went? I told you about me and Val!"

They were sitting at lunch, Tucker having finished his burger AND filled her in on the entire dance, all before Sam could even touch her turfwich.

"Tucker, I think it's great you and Valerie are a couple now, she's what you've been needing, but I don't really want to talk anymore about the dance." Sam sighed.

' _Or after…'_

Tucker's friendly mood went down a notch as he turned and looked his friend in the eyes.

"Sam, I know something happened last night. By the time me and Valerie got to the dance, Dash was with Paulina and you were gone… I was really worried about you. All night actually. Valerie could tell also. Just tell me you're ok and I'll drop it.

Sam wasn't expecting this from Tucker. While he was her best friend, he almost never acted this serious, especially about matters such as this. Could she really bring herself to tell him what she had almost done up on that roof? What she had been thinking about for weeks now?

"Tucker… I'm… I mean… This isn't the place. But I promise that I am doing just fine and will explain everything really soon."

' _You know, when I actually know what's going on…'_

Tucker just smiled, trying to act like he felt better about what his friend had just said.

"Ok Sam, if you say so. But know that I am always here for you."

"And I will always remember that, thanks Tuck," she said as she finally took a bite of her lunch.

* * *

_Danny._

That was his human name, his human life.

He hadn't taken much time to try and remember since the return, but with this new discovery, memories were coming back a lot more.

He had had a sister, Jazz, who had loved him dearly. Apparently that sister had grown up and had a family of her own, which explained the connection to Jack and Maddie.

It also explained why Jack had been interested in genetics, although the specific reasons were still unclear.

Frankly, his head was too full from this recent development to think about that right now.

Phantom needed to clear his mind, break away from the haunting thoughts that were suddenly appearing, and as if his body knew the solution, he found himself once again at the school.

The pull he was feeling towards the girl was strong, even more so than the revelations of his family tree. And yet, now that his family memories were returning, he was beginning to wonder what other memories would come next.

Somehow the girl had triggered something inside him, something that led him to believe they had a bond, and that it spanned more than just the one day he had known her.

Fearful of that bond, he slowed down as he realized where he was headed.

' _No, don't even start thinking about that! That was a whole other life. This is NOW!'_

Small memories were coming back now. Of the girl he had once loved, but had never told. He still couldn't put a name or face, but somehow those eyes were glued into his mind.

' _But what if it happens again? What if I get close to her, then suddenly I have to leave?'_

' _Would you just be quiet! You haven't saved anyone all day. Instead you've been wallowing in your past. Your memories. Your story.'_

' _But memories are important! Without them, who would I be?'_

' _A normal ghost, that's who.'_

Phantom was fighting a losing battle with his own mind.

It had a point: he hadn't saved anyone since last night, nor had he been on the news. All he could do was daydream

There really was no reason for him to be saving people. Before, it had been an excuse to stay in Amity Park – his old home – but now he had a new excuse, this one in the form of answers.

And the dark-haired angel who might trigger them.

The angel he had saved, and in turn had saved him. Real or not, the connection they shared went much deeper than the rescue. There was something in her that was also in him. If only he could figure it all out.

Just as he thought of this for the hundredth time, the school bell rang.

He had been sitting outside the building, waiting for her to come out so he could watch, hoping to approach her.

' _Okay, Fenton! Just fly down and say SOMETHING!'_

He stopped. The revelation of his first name must have triggered him to remember the rest. Of course, it seemed pretty obvious now that he saw the connections. Still, everyone always just called him "Phantom," and if he had his way, it'd stay like that.

"Ah, shut up," he told his mind as he turned around, deciding today was not the day to approach her.

' _Maybe tomorrow…'_

* * *

"You can't honestly tell me that you like that boy Dash?"

Sam's grandmother had stopped her on her way to her room after school upon seeing her granddaughter in yet another daze.

Being as close to Sam as she was, she was beginning to notice the change in Sam's attitude. She remembered her high school crush fairly well and knew only a boy could cause such a change.

She was dazed a lot, often smiling even. Wandering the halls of their house with a small skip in her step and acting much more hopeful than she once had. She was HAPPY.

Sam found herself finally paying attention when she heard Dash's name. She hadn't seen or discussed Dash since that night.

"Dash?! Oh god no!" she replied in disgust. _'Even Paulina isn't fit for that slime ball!'_

"Well, I know crushes when I see them. I used to be the same way with…" Her grandmother stopped herself before she could bring back those painful memories.

"With who grandma?"

"Oh… nobody. It's not a big deal. Anyway, I want you to know that I am here for you, as always, and will understand whatever happens to you."

"I know." Sam sighed. "I just really need time to think right now though," she finished as she continued up the stairs to her room.

* * *

Sam's happiness the past few days, while refreshing, was starting to unearth painful memories in her Grandmother.

The smiles, the skipping, the energy. It reminded her of a better time, when she too had felt that way.

' _Only one boy ever did that to me, and we never even had a chance to share our feelings.'_

Sarah remembered all the times they had been together those few days before IT happened, and every time she looked back, she wished she had just said those three words.

' _If I had only…'_

She always stopped herself there, never wanting to think about how she could have prevented whatever had happened all those years ago.

Instead, she decided to head out for her evening "stroll," a small tear falling down her cheek.

Dddd

Sam spent the rest of the day in her room, debating to herself.

' _He only helped because I was in need!'_

' _But the conversation? It felt so genuine, real!'_

' _That doesn't mean anything, just that you needed something to say.'_

' _And the kiss?!'_

' _Forget the stupid kiss — it wasn't real! It was on the CHEEK, for crying out loud!'_

' _Still… he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel something!'_

' _He's a ghost!'_

' _I don't care! There's more than that to him, I can tell. He's lonely and needs somebody…'_

' _Whatever.'_

The battle went on all night before Sam finally got tired enough to sleep.

* * *

It was getting late. Phantom had been mindlessly patrolling the skies all night, still trying to make sense of what he was remembering, when he heard his ghostly name.

' _Who would…?'_ He was looking around when he stopped. "Of course," he found himself saying out loud.

He was right outside her window.

' _No, don't look in; it's not polite.'_

But the draw of her body, her scent, her eyes was almost too much; he had to go in.

There she was, tossing in bed as if she had just randomly fallen asleep.

"Don't let go! No, stop! Phantom!"

' _What in the world?'_ But he got cut off by more cries.

"Don't just disappear! Stay!"

Suddenly things were clicking as he slowly moved away from the window. He couldn't take it anymore.

' _I just left. No goodbye. No nothing. Just leaving her hanging… like back then.'_

Between the revelation of his family and the knowledge that he had once been in love, the memory train had been full speed the last few days yet he still couldn't place in his mind what had really happened. All he knew was that he couldn't leave the ones he loved hanging like he had done all those years ago.

* * *

Sam's next day at school yielded the same routine. She had daydreamed in every class, as she had done the past week. She really just wanted to see Phantom again.

She had come to expect disappointment.

So naturally, her heart, along with the rest of her body, came to a screeching stop that day after school when she saw him floating a few feet in front of her.

"Phantom?" she asked quietly. _'This must be a dream! He hasn't been around in a WEEK and suddenly he's here!'_

She closed her eyes and reopened them, but he was still there.

' _Yes!'_

She could tell he was happy too; the smile on his face was very wide. But before she could say anything he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind the building.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said quietly as not to draw attention to himself.

' _You left me hanging and you think I'm okay?'_

But of course that's not what she said.

"Yeah, I'm okay." _'Now.'_

"Good. We need to talk. Can we go somewhere?" he asked,glancing around nervously to imply that they couldn't get a lot done in the current location.

"Anywhere."

* * *

They were at Phantom's favorite place, HIS building.

He had taken a liking to spending his free time on top of the local music store, partially because it was good place to people watch, and partially because of some pull he felt from his past.

He dropped her softly on the roof before landing and sitting down by the edge.

"So anyway, I've been thinking," he said after a very long silence.

' _Continue…'_ Sam was becoming excited, something she hadn't felt in a long time but so desperately wanted. Here she was, on a rooftop with the town's local hero, having another very personal conversation.

"I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to see you again since that night, " he continued, a look of pure remorse on his face.

"I know that life can be hard, and I'm sure things haven't been easy since all that happened. So I just want you to know, that If you ever get to that point again, I'm here."

He stopped talking and looked at her, hoping to see a reaction in her face.

Luckily for him, she let out a small smile, her violet lipstick shining in the sun.

She had only known him for a short time, but she felt so close to him, as if they were somehow related.

Finally she gulped.

"Yes, I think that would work very well, Phantom."

He looked up at her with a curious look in his eye.

"Call me Danny, please. I HATE the name Phantom!"

' _Where did that come from?'_

"Okay… Danny."

The name rolled of her tongue, like it had been waiting to escape her lips for years. Perfectly beautiful.

As the two sat down, he politely touched her hand, allowing it's warmth to penetrate his cold body. The two shared eye contact briefly before Sam quickly looked away, blushing.

"You know, you never did tell me your name…"

She turned back at this comment, realizing that he was, in fact, correct.

"Really? Well you can call me Sam. Sam Manson."


	8. Chapter 7

There were few things Danny could remember from his previous life.

He had faint memories of his death and it's cause and his family was becoming clearer every day, what with the discovery of the Fentons' computer.

And then there was the girl: The one he couldn't name but remembered leaving behind. The one who's eyes haunted his memories. The one he had loved.

Could her really say love? ; maybe they were more like close friends.

Either way, when Sam told him her name atop the music store, several more memories of his past came flooding back.

"Sarah Manson," he said quietly to himself as things began to click.

"Hmmm?" Sam asked, but he wasn't listening.

'' _Sarah Manson. Where is this coming from? I had a girlfriend right? Is this the name? It can't be, because that would mean…"_

"DANNY!"

At the sound of his real name, he quickly came out of his daze. She was still next to him, a worried look on her face.

"You did want me to call you Danny right?" She seemed very concerned.

Honestly, that was the least of his worries at this point, but he nodded anyways.

"Listen, Sam, right? I just caught wind of an accident, and this time they really do need me, so I should probably be going. But I'll be back this time. I'm just a ghost, don't worry about me."

Before she could even reply , he was flying off into the distance.

' _No. You're more than a ghost. You were human once, you have feelings too. You deserve to live.'_

She stayed up there a bit longer before something dawned on her.

"How do I get down?"

* * *

"She moved on, had a family, and now I'm falling for her daughter…"

He was sitting on a nearby rooftop, thinking out loud about what had just happened.

' _Sarah…'  
_

Sarah had been the one. The girl he had grown up with, started dating and eventually had come to love. But because of the fire, he had never even shared his feelings.

The fire.

Even though he was unable to remember the details, he clearly remembered how he had come to be where he was today, and it was all because of a fire.

' _Hold up Fenton. Let's forget that for now and think about HER.'_

His mind was right, he had more to worry about right now then how he had died.

"It's been fifty years… she's moved on"

' _Of course she has, who wouldn't? I wonder how long it took her? Wait! Fifty years? That would make her — and me — 68. There is no way Sam is over 17, which can't make her the daughter. '_

"Grandma," he whispered out loud.

' _I'm falling in love with her granddaughter'_

Just that thought scared him enough to phase through the roof of the building.

* * *

It had been a whole day since they had met last, and Danny had tried to move on and forget the whole grandmother/granddaughter relationship.

He had gone back to saving people, though not as often, and there usually wasn't a TV camera there anymore, But who needed that anyway?

However, today there were several surrounding a local fire that had broken out at the town hall.

Danny felt obligated to help the people; fires were his weak spot. He knew firsthand what could happen if the fire got out of control, and he didn't like it.

So naturally, when Sam came down that morning to find her grandma in the kitchen watching the local news, her heart jumped at what she heard.

"And local firefighters have given up! The fire is completely out of control, and going in would risk more lives than already are at risk. However, our very own Phantom, able to handle the intense heat and smoke, is in there right now, searching aimlessly for our illusive mayor!"

"Too bad the firefighters always seem to rely on that Phantom fellow lately," Grandma mumbled.

"Danny," Sam whispered as she sat down next to her, eyes glued to the screen.

The screen flipped to another scene of the fire as a figure emerged from the flames carrying the mayor. Having paid close attention to his recent TV appearance, Sam noticed that the hero seemed a bit more worn this time, walking slower as if the fire had affected him.

The TV announcer seemed to notice as well, adding the very blatant "Well, it seems as though our local hero may have had a bit too much today!"

"I'd be worn out too if the whole town relied on me to save them," her Grandma continued as they showed more footage of the fire, waiting to see if the mayor was ok.

"Yeah, but you gotta admit, Danny does a good job." Sam added, only to realize too late she slipped.

"Danny?" The Grandma asked, looking from the screen to her granddaughter.

_'CRAP! Think! How do I get out of this mess?'_

The last thing Sam needed was her family involved In her ghost love affair. She quickly made a straight face and tried again.

"Who?" she casually asked.

"I just thought you said… never mind, I must be getting delusional in my older years. You know how I get Sammy." Her grandma smiled innocently.

' _Whew.'_

"Yeah, you are getting up in there. You know, you're almost 70. Maybe you should take the chair out for a spin?

Sam had grown up knowing her grandma as always being in that chair. An accident early in Sam's childhood had paralyzed her, causing her to be confined to her hover-round. But grandma didn't care; she loved it!

And right now Sam wanted to try everything in her power to get her grandmother off the subject of the ghost boy.

"Good idea!" Her grandma grinned as she rode out of the room.

* * *

Sam didn't know it, but her grandma was a lot more alert than she let on.

"Danny? Why would she use that name? I haven't heard it in over 50 years…" She was trying to put the pieces together as she went on her morning trip around the block.

The more she thought about it though, the more she didn't want to. She had been thinking about him a lot lately, what with Sam's sudden happiness.

Every time she delved back into those memories, she felt worse about that night. How could she have not known something was wrong when he didn't call? How could she have just let whatever happened happen? As his girl, she shouldn't have just stood by.

' _It's been fifty years, you moved on, met someone new and have had a wonderful son and granddaughter. He's in the past, so why should I worry about him now?"_

But the line between past and present had slowly begun to blur over the past few days. It was the ghost boy, Phantom as he was called, that she believed had caused this.

She had yet to get a good look at his face, on TV or in real life, but there was something very familiar about him. Could he possibly be?

' _No. If he's a ghost, which I can't believe, but with today's technology…. Ok stop rambling. If Phantom's a ghost, who's to say it's even…'_

Sarah hated to even think the name

' _There is no way the two can be related. It's just not possible. He disappeared over fifty years ago.'_

She kept on scooting, trying to sort out the mess without getting too emotional.

' _He seems so familiar, though…'_

She was about halfway across the street when it happened. It was instantaneous, nothing more than a blur and a gust of wind going right in front of her face. But it was enough.

' _Danny.'_


	9. Chapter 8

After that day's fire, Danny had decided he needed more answers. And while the mystery behind Sam would continue to worry him, what he needed the most were answers about his family.

And where better to find them then the source?

The Fenton Lab was abuzz, with both Jack and Maddie running back and forth between the portal and the computer. They were so busy, in fact, that they didn't even notice Danny float in, completely visible.

"Jack! I think we may have finally done it! Look here! This sample of ectoplasm we found has traces of human DNA in it!" Maddie said with excitement as she typed away.

"Which means that ghosts must really be spirits of those past!" Jack concluded as he placed his hands firmly on her shoulders.

Maddie winced at the strength but quickly bounced back.

"Now Jack, don't get ahead of yourself, that doesn't get us any closer to finding him…"

"Oh Mads, I know, but just the thought!" Jack sighed.

He had spent so much time continuing his mother's research that even a small step forward got him excited these days.

Danny floated down behind Jack, hoping to see what was on the screen this time. Squinting a little he saw the words, "Ectoplasmic match" on the screen next to an image of a swirling DNA strand.

Jack's eyes grew wide as he quickly turned around.

He blinked; nothing. There was nothing behind him.

"Jack? What's up? Why did you just turn so quickly?" Maddie sounded worried again.

"I swear Maddie, I just saw HIS reflection in the computer screen. Like maybe he was watching from behind. Didn't you?"

"No dear, I was too busy typing in numbers…"

"He was there! I saw him! I know it was him!"

Danny had sworn he was invisible when he went to peek at the computer, but apparently he hadn't learned to control it as well as he thought.

Jack's excitement had him worried though. Should he reveal himself? Tell them that he was what they were looking for?

Trying to decide, he floated backwards a bit and foundhimself colliding with a lab table.

' _What harm could it do? They know about Phantom, why not share the whole story?'_

' _What whole story? You don't even know that yet!'_

Sighing quietly, he sat down on the table, only to find his hand gravitating towards the object that was sitting next to him.

It looked like it should hold someone's lunch, what with its shape and lid, but he knew that it had to be more, for it was blinking green. Curious, he picked it up and examined it more closely. There was a switch on the side that said, "Open" and a few more buttons that he couldn't make out. Whatever it was, though, it seemed to have ignited some sort of force within his body, asking to be taken along on his next adventure.

Making sure that the Fentons weren't watching, he turned it invisible and placed it on his belt.

He wanted to investigate more, but suddenly he felt an icy chill escape his mouth, yet another thing he had never experienced. Upon its escape, the same chill sent a shiver up his spine and into his head, telling him that he needed to go, and go fast.

Speeding out of the lab, he completely forgot that, while invisible, he still caused gusts.

"Maddie, did you feel that?" Jack asked, turning around once more.

"A slight gust? Yea. But we did leave the portal open again," Maddie finished.

"True. True… Wait? Maddie! Didn't we have a Fenton Thermos on that table?"

* * *

Sam was once again worried. About what, she could not decide, but she was worried nonetheless.

She worried about her grandmother, who had been acting rather odd all day.

She worried that she was falling into a void again. Even Tucker had noticed her lack of attention lately.

But mostly she worried about Phantom (it was still hard for her to grasp the idea of Phantom having a real, human name). He hadn't been acting normal that day on the rooftop, and Sam still couldn't figure out why. It didn't help that he had once again disappeared into oblivion.

"Miss Manson!"

Sam jerked her head up to see Mr. Lancer, her English teacher, and the rest of the class staring at her. Although usually indifferent, today she found herself turning a slight shade of red

"What?! Oh, sorry!"

"Well, once you get out of your day dreams, will you please tell the class one of Romeo's tragic flaws," Lancer continued, his voice becoming an annoyed growl.

' _Crap! I forgot to read that act! Think, Sam, think!'_

And she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Ummm, he was in love?"

* * *

"Way to go, Sam! You totally pulled that off. Usually Lancer asks harder questions to the dreamers!"

Tucker had been applauding Sam's correct guess the since they'd left the classroom, but Sam didn't care. As soon as that class had ended, she was back to her daydreaming.

They were sitting at lunch now, Tucker talking a mile a minute, and Sam just nodding as she picked at her mac and cheese.

' _There's something special about Phant—Danny, and I've never felt this way before, about anyone. I just wish he'd stop coming and going so much. Maybe this time he'll just stay away. Then I can go on with my life and pretend none of this ever happened. Go back to feeling the way I'm used to. Go back to my life…'_

It was right as she thought this that she was once again awakened from her dreams, this time by the screams of the other people in the room.

Sam turned to see an eerie green old lady floating about ten feet off the ground, chucking meat at the students.

"You children need to eat more meat!"

Everyone else was running, but something inside her told Sam to just stay standing, as if that was really the safer option.

It wasn't.

She was one of the few students left now, and the ghost (for after meeting Danny, Sam was sure that's what this was) had noticed that.

"Macaroni and cheese does not help you grow!" the ghost shouted as more meat went flying Sam's way.

' _Well, if Tuck could see me now, he'd finally understand how bad meat is for you.'_

But Tuck couldn't see her, and neither could anyone else. Sam was the only one left in the room, and yet she couldn't move. She was already knee-deep in a pile of meat when she finally passed out, but not before hearing the crazy lady one last time:

"What? You? You think you can stop me from serving these children a balanced, protein-filled meal?"

* * *

Danny arrived barely in time, the sense in his brain directing him to the scene.

' _Weird… This is the first time there's been a ghost attack since I came back. They must be letting the bad ones through now. Great.'_

He was a bit nervous, having never fought a fellow ghost before and not knowing what to expect. Naturally, he didn't expect it to be an elderly lady throwing meat.

' _That's it? This could be easier than I thought.'_

"You know, they always said respect your elders, but I don't think that this applies!" he shouted, not really knowing what else to doSaving people from fires was one thing, after all it just required him to float in, grab them and go. But destroying an angry ghost? He didn't even know where to start.

"What? You? You think you can stop me from serving these children a balanced, protein-filled meal?"

"Balanced, huh? All I see is MEAT!" As he shouted, he tried to think of something, anything to destroy her.

As if his body was answering his questions, his hands began to glow green with energy, until two large balls of ectoplasm appeared. Looking down, Danny knew what he had to do.

He quickly hurled his hands forward, sending the balls of ghostly power straight at his elderly foe.

The ghost stopped in shock as Danny's attacks hit her square in the chest, sending bits of meat flying in the air.

"Meat feeds the body! Gives us strength!" she screeched, trying to recover.

"Oh yeah? Well I think it's about time you ate some yourself!" he shouted back as he grabbed a chicken leg and hurled it at her.

While she was distracted by the sudden turnaround of her meat, Danny pulled out the device he had found at the Fenton's.

"Not sure what this does, but I found it in that lab and it looked cool…"

He opened the lid, hoping it would do something. Luckily it did: a blue beam shot from the top and Danny instinctively pointed it at the ghost. The beam sucked her in within seconds.

Unsure what to do next, Danny quickly capped the container.

"Phew! At least that's over."

He was about to fly off when he saw _her_.

' _Sam!'_

She was lying on the ground, probably passed out, knee-deep in a pile of meat.

"It's okay, I'll take you home," he mumbled as he picked her up and flew off.

* * *

" _Sam! Sam!_ _"_

If it hadn't been _his_ voice, she probably wouldn't have awoken as fast as she had.

"Phantom?" she asked groggily as she came to.

"It's Danny, but it's fine. Are you okay?"

She was lying on her bed, and Danny was hovering right above her, closer than she ever would have wished, his ghostly glow flickering.

' _He must be weak from fighting…'_

"I think so, Danny." She smiled. "Was that you? Who stopped the lunch lady?"

"Yes, it was. But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're safe."

"Well I am… now. Thanks," she said shyly. She didn't want to act the way she was acting, but a wave of emotions were suddenly taking over her body and she just couldn't help herself.

Danny caught on quicker than she expected.

"That lady was really, well—" But before she could continue, he put his finger to her lips.

"Shhh, just hold on. I want to try something."

And at that very moment, he leaned down, and they shared their very first kiss.

* * *

"Hey Tuck," Sam said into the phone a few hours later.

"Yes I'm fine. No I don't need you to come over. NO I did not eat any meat!"

Despite being her friend, Tucker had a way of being an idiot some days.

"I called because we need to talk. About today. And the past few weeks. And the dance." She gulped, then finally began to tell her friend her story.

* * *

"And then he just kissed me, like nothing was wrong!" Sam finished after thirty minutes.

Tucker, on the other end, had been a great listener as she explained the dance (conveniently forgetting to mention the suicide attempt) and her story of the ghost boy. But after finishing up, Sam heard nothing.

"Tuck, please say something." She sighed into the phone.

"Sam, I… I don't know what to say. I mean, he's a GHOST. And I'm pretty sure there is no one out there who can give relationship advice on that subject," Tucker finally answered.

"I know, I know, I just needed to tell someone. I can't tell my parents, and my grandma has been a little weird lately herself."

"It's fine Sam, I just need to warn you. I've studied ghosts a little bit. And I know enough to tell you that, as a ghost, he can't really age or change. Who knows if he can even stay out here much longer. I don't want you to get hurt."

Sam had thought about the fact that he was a ghost several times, but hearing her friend say it out loud made it all the more real. He was right: how could she even consider being with someone who would never grow older? They'd never be able to live a normal life.

' _Since when is my life normal though?'_

"I know Tucker, I know."

* * *

"News reporters were called out to our local high school today with a rather odd report. Here's Lance Thunder with the story!"

"Thanks, Tiffany! This is Lance Thunder and I'm standing outside of Amity's own Casper High School, the site of an alleged ghost attack earlier this afternoon."

The camera was on a clean-shaven man, standing outside the high school, looking rather nervous.

"We talked to a student here who witnessed most of the crisis. Paulina, is it?"

The camera then zoomed in on a Latino girl, about age 16.

"Yeah, that's right Lance. Am I really on TV?"

"Yes you are. Can you please tell us what you saw?"

"Oh yeah, that. Well we were all just at lunch, and Star was discussing her newest outfits and then suddenly I was hit in the back of the head with a chunk of MEAT! Obviously I turned around to see who had thrown it so I could tell them a thing or two about how beef is bad for my follicles, and this creepy, green old lady is floating in the middle of the cafeteria!"

"Floating?"

"Yea, so naturally, I scream—I mean, who wouldn't if you got hit by meat AND there was a lady floating around. And then the rest of the cafeteria freezes and they all turn to look at ME! Like it's bad enough I have meat in my hair, but everyone have to see it!?"

"So then what happened?"

"Duh! I ran, and so did the rest of the school. And after that, no one knows what happened, but that whacko old lady is gone now. Does she realize how much shampoo it's going to take to get the meat out of my… HEY! Turn the camera back here!"

"Sorry, Paulina, is it? But we just received an anonymous photo taken this afternoon."

The TV then switched to a photo. It was Phantom, and he was flying away from the school. Sam, passed out, was in his arms.

"Well, I'll be darned, that is one very interesting photo."

The photo was clear enough that any viewer could make out the hero's face as well as the face of the girl in his arms

"Well all be… he is back."

Sarah Manson quickly flipped off the television in the kitchen and closed her eyes, trying to process what she had hoped wasn't true for days now.

"And Sammy had to go and find him…"

It was all starting to make sense now. Sam's recent mood changes and the way she acted when the news came on. The pieces were falling into place and Sarah wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Not knowing what else to do at the moment, she wheeled herself to the ramp up the stairs, headed for the bathroom. After the entire mess that day, all she really needed was a relaxing bubble bath.

"I think it's about time I track down some answers."


	10. Chapter 9

Sam woke up that Saturday morning excited and nervous. While yesterday had been simply wonderful–what with the kiss and all–it was the prospect of today that made her heart flutter.

' _Our first official date…'_

After they had gotten through the awkwardness of the kiss, reality had set in that maybe they needed to spend some more time together. Up until now, it had really only been sporadic rescues appearances. And neither of them could seem to stop thinking about the other.

She hopped out of bed happily, then stopped, remembering the words of Tucker yesterday.

' _He's a ghost. And as a ghost, he can't really age or change.'_

She had found herself debating these issues all of last night, not really sure what to do or say; in the end, she ended up just falling asleep.

But now that it was morning, and her head was clear, she began to smile again.

' _Tuck, I love you, but I gotta do this for me.'_

She quickly ran into her closet, hoping to find the perfect outfit for her date.

* * *

It had been ages, literally, since Danny had been on an actual date, and going on one as a ghost was definitely a new experience.

He did his best to hide the nervousness with excitement, but his mind kept going back to the whole idea of dating a human. Yes he had been one once, but now he wasn't. He had emotions, that was true, but he also had ghost powers. He'd never age again. He'd never die. He'd never truly be able to give her a proper life. If he made even one wrong move, he could send her back to that dark place she was the night they met.

' _Just stop. Obviously she doesn't seem to care – yet – or this wouldn't even be happening. Just take it one day at a time. Maybe what you need right now is a friend. Someone on your side.'_

And then there was the idea of hanging out in public, something he usually tried to avoid during the day unless he was on a rescue.

' _But she can't be expected to stay out at night. You have to do some giving as well. Take some risks.'_

And the more he thought about it, the more it became clear that no matter the situation, he had to make it work. Make THEM work. If nothing else, to make up for what almost was all those years ago.

Memories had been coming back in bits lately. Memories of what once was, the girl he loved and never told, and the night he almost did.

' _If that fire hadn't happened, maybe we'd be together right now.'_

But they weren't, and here he was, a GHOST. In love with a HUMAN.

Could the afterlife get any more complicated?

* * *

Purple clutch in hand, Sam raced down the stairs, hoping to sneak out unheard. Unfortunately for her, Grandma was waiting at the bottom and, unable to stop, Sam soon found herself on the ground.

"Sammy, where's the fire?" Grandma exclaimed, reaching from her chair to help her granddaughter up. Upon looking her over, she got that glint in her eye and knew exactly what the rush was.

' _Could she possibly be going to spend more time with him?'_

"Well look at you, all dressed up! You trying to impress someone?"While Sam didn't originally think her look was that fancy today, apparently anything beyond the norm could raise a flag. And as she dusted herself off, she did have to give herself some credit: she cleaned up well.

She had ended up with purple flip-flops and black tights, paired with a purple skirt with lace trim to match the purple lace that accented her black tank top. She had let her hair fall down messy, barely even brushing it that morning as she had applied her standard purple eyeliner and lipstick. And it was all completed with the silver chains that she wore around her neck and wrists.

"Grandma, why can't I just dress up for once?" she asked, blushing.

"I know you too well kiddo–you only dress up this nice if your'e trying to impress someone so spill it! Did this Dash fellow finally apologize?"

' _Let's see how well she gets out of this one.'_ The image of Dash making out with Paulina quickly found itself in Sam's head before she grimaced.

"Ewwww no! Grandma why would I ever!?"

"Well, who else would you be rushing off to see? Not good enough to introduce to your favorite Grandma?"

"You're my only Grandma…" Sam commented, starting to sound annoyed.

' _Ok Sam, you win today, but I will get my answers soon.'_

She gave her granddaughter a wink, which meant that the was done asking questions."Just go have fun, but be safe ok?"

Some days, she really wanted to slug her grandma, and yet she always ended up hugging her instead.

"Thanks, I won't be out too late."

* * *

Danny wanted to be a normal teenager for once, and today seemed like a good day to do it. But he also knew that the connection they shared was anything but normal. Could it really ever be normal?

Still, he couldn't help himself from swiping some 'human clothes' to wear on their outing, and thus found himself in a baggy t-shirt, torn jeans and a punk band baseball cap.

' _Because nothing screams normal like this crap…'_

When the clothing style had changed, he did not know, but he desperately wished that this was not what was considered cool.

' _Blend in, just for a bit. Be normal'_

Having agreed to try some normalcy also meant no flying, something he desperately wished for as he walked to the corner of Sam's street. She had refused to let him come around the house and risk being seen.

But as he approached, Danny found himself feeling anything but normal.

She was really an angel. Standing in her beautiful dark clothes underneath the street sign as she patiently waited.

Looking up and seeing him in his baggy clothes, she smiled and let out a small giggle.

"I know we said normal, but I think I preferred the ghost clothes." She laughed louder as he got closer.

"Really? Is it that obvious I don't belong here?" he joked back.

"So obvious!"

Whatever fear he had before quickly melted away. She didn't want some 'normal' high school boyfriend, she wanted him. The emotional, somewhat concealed, GHOST that he was.

Danny pulled off the cap, letting his messy white hair hang free, and threw it into the street.

"Ready to go?" he asked as they took each other's hands and began to walk.

"Ready, but I have one more question…" she said still smiling.

He nodded.

"Can we fly?"

* * *

Flying wasn't normal, and Sam didn't care. Normal was out the window the second Danny showed up.

' _Who needs normal anyway?'_

If she wanted normal, she wouldn't have found herself in this relationship to begin with.

"So where are we headed? The pier, a movie?"

"Better," he replied, glancing down at his dark angel before coming to a landing outside that same record store from before.

"The record store?"

"I figured it was time we got to know each other."

* * *

While he had spent a great deal of time atop the store, Danny had never found himself inside, and thus did not know what to expect.

During his time on Earth he had listened to a fair amount of music on the record player, all his favorites with their scratches and nicks from being listened to so often.

Naturally, walking in to a store full of CDs and computers was not was he expected.

Sam could see the shock on his face and started to laugh again.

"I think you need a little welcome to the millennium tour." She smiled as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside,not even realizing that it wasn't as cold as it usually was.

The first aisle they went to was Sam's auto-pilot aisle: the heavy metal, gothic rock genres. She quickly grabbed a "Dumpty Humpty" CD and took Danny to a kiosk. All the while, he just went though the motions, unsure what to really think.

Handing the bewildered ghost the headphones, Sam couldn't help but chuckle as he tried to figure them out and, once he did, frowned at the music they omitted.

"People LIKE this?" he said rather loudly over the heavy drums and guitars that filled his ears. "How is this even music?"

"It's not music, it's a mood. Feeling. It takes me where I need to be when I need to be there," Sam explained.

' _I guess I can understand that,'_ Danny thought, _'but I still wish it wasn't so explicit.'_

After a few more seconds, and a lot of concealed laughter from Sam, Danny finally pulled off the phones.

"Do they have any Elvis? Ray Charles?"

"Who?" Sam asked somewhat jokingly as she walked him over to the "Oldies" section.

' _Much better.'_

Danny reached for a copy of "Heartbreak Hotel" and walked back over to the kiosk, fumbling to figure out how to put the CD in.

"Here, listen to this," he said five minutes later as he handed the headphones to a laughing Sam.

"Hmmmm I think I've heard my Grandma play this one before," she commented as she listened. "I remember vaguely liking it, but it's not Dumpty Humpty."

Sam winked as this, knowing full well that Danny needed some adjusting if he wanted to get used to this time.

Danny missed the wink, for at the mention of Grandma his mind went back to her and the possible connection there could be.

' _Not today, not now. Stay cool. Be normal. Forget there could be a connection.'_

"You're doing it again," Sam said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Doing what?" Danny asked, completely bewilderment in his voice.

"Flickering. Your glow. Every time you're around me you flicker…" Sam explained, hoping Danny may have an explanation.

"Really? I… I never noticed. "

' _Add that to the list of things I need to investigate later.'_

Seeing Danny's confusion, Sam quickly decided to change the subject.

"Here, let's try something in the middle," she said as they made their way to the "Classic Rock" section. She had a feeling he'd like what she was about to pick out.

"But close your eyes, I don't want you see the title."

"Really, we're playing that game now?" he joked as he put his hand over his eyes like a child.

' _She's pretty cute when she jokes like that.'_

Sam put the CD into the player and handed him half of the earphone, putting the other half onto her own ear.

With both their heads together under the same set of headphones, Danny found his cold body turning warm. The sound of guitars filled his ears and the words began to form.

" _Oh yeah, I'll tell you something  
I think you'll understand  
When I'll say that something  
I wanna hold your hand…"_

A smile on her face, Sam tried to turn her head to face him and the same time he turned to face her. They both had bit of blush in their cheeks and a small smile on their faces. They closed their eyes, knowing it was about to happen again...

CRASH!

The world stopped. They both jumped, losing their headphones, their song, their moment.

"Remember my name!"

Danny turned, his senses heightened as he saw a girl floating above the shelves.

She hadale blue skin, fiery teal hair, she was holding a guitar which was emitting ghostly musical notes left and right.

' _This cannot be good…'_

* * *

"You will remember my name!" she sang loudly as more notes filled the air. The people in the store had all stopped and turned, suddenly finding themselves clapping along with the ghost.

"Ember! Ember! Emberrrr!" they chanted as her hair blazed stronger.

' _She's gotta be a ghost. But how did she get here?'_

After the lunch lady yesterday, he had a feeling he'd start seeing more ghosts around town; with the Fentons always opening that portal, it was bound to let a few out. Still, he didn't quite feel prepared to battle any.

' _Ok think, how can you take this one down?'_

"Danny! Yesterday, the lunch ghost. Your hands! Remember?!"

Almost as if his body answered her words, he found his hands glowing green, the same way they had yesterday when he used his rays.

' _This could work…'_

He looked up, held out his hands, took aim, and prayed.

Green beams shot out of his hands and knocked the guitar half way across the room, catching the other ghost off guard.

"Well, if it isn't a little dipstick, coming out to play," she snarled, but without her guitar found herself unable to do much of anything.

' _Ok, so the guitar is her power…'_

Danny's hands glowed green again as he flew closer, taking aim once more at the guitar on the floor.

' _Stronger, stronger, stronger…'_

The guitar exploded in a cloud of green light, sending shards everywhere, while the rocker ghost just hovered, her hair slowly fizzing out.

"Not so tough without the guitar, are you?!" Danny shouted, some confidence coming back to his voice.

She opened her mouth to sing, but instead found nothing. Her powers were gone, and she had no more fans to bring them back, since they'd all scattered when the guitar exploded.

"You win this time, Babypop, but I'll be back. No one ever forgets Ember McClain!".

And with that, she flew out of the store in a huff, defeated and helpless.

* * *

The whole time Danny was battling the ghost, Sam found herself in the corner, behind the headphone kiosk, completely useless.

' _There has got to be something I can do for Danny!'_ she kept thinking, even though there really wasn't.

Then she remembered: yesterday during the lunch incident, she had seen his hands glow green, something she had never expected. They had become powerful, useful, dangerous.

"Danny! Yesterday, the lunch ghost. Your hands! Remember?!" she shouted from her hiding place.

She could tell he heard her, for his hands began to glow as he took aim and knocked the guitar across the room.

' _Yes!'_

The battle continued as Sam watched on, wishing there was more she could do, but knowing that Danny could handle whatever came next. It wasn't until the ghost finally disappeared that she let out a sigh of relief and ran over to shaking Danny.

"Danny! You did it! You did it!" she said, jumping up and down like a little girl.

"Sam… How'd you remember… the beams? Weren't you passed out yesterday?"

"Sometimes when things are important they just come flooding back." She smiled.

* * *

While it hadn't been the date they were expecting, it had been a wonderful day in both their minds, and the walk home couldn't have been better.

"Seriously, you listen to THAT?!" Danny asked again of her tastes in music.

"It's not THAT BAD once you get used to it. Better than that bubble gum pop that all the radios play."

"Still, it's a bit intense don't you think?" Danny smiled.

"And 'Heartbreak Hotel' isn't? I never pegged you as an Elvis fan." Sam smiled back as she gently nudged him.

"What can I say, it was the times…"

They stopped, looked at each other and laughed.

The age gap, while apparent, was becoming a great quirk in the relationshipSomething about how things were then and how they were now kept the mood light and open, things they both needed so desperately lately.

"But really, what was that last one? I LOVED IT!" Danny found himself asked.

"'I Wanna Hold Your Hand.' I can't believe you weren't around for the Beatles!"

They stopped again, this time without the laughter, as Sam's eyes got big.

"I am sooo sorry! I never… I mean... I know you're … ugh!".

"Just stop, Sam. It's ok. I know. I'm not from here. This time. It's fine. I'm not… normal." He turned away, trying to hide the frustration in his face at the fact that things could never be normal between them.

"But… Danny… You don't have to be. I know it's weird. I know you're… a… ghost… But we can figure this out. I want to figure this out."

He turned back, a small smile forming on his face again, yet still showing a trace of sadness.

"Yea?"

"Yea. And you know why?"

She walked closer to him, wanting to make the first move this time. She leaned in, eyes closed, ready.

SMACK. Her head hit the ground.

Out of pure instinct, Danny had goneintangible at exactly the wrong moment.

"Shoot! Sam are you ok?" he asked, turning solid again and leaning down to pick her up.

"You need to warn me next time you do that." She said, rubbing her head and praying it wouldn't bruise.

"This is what I meant! I am not normal. I'm a ghost. I can shoot RAYS OF LIGHT from my hands. I can FLY! I can turn INVISIBLE without even trying. Half the time I can float THROUGH things! This can't work!" He turned away and began to walk the other direction.

' _Why doesn't he understand? My life was normal before and I was miserable! I don't want that again. I need excitement. Unexpectedness. You!'_

"Danny!"

He kept walking.

"Danny!"

Still walking.

"PHANTOM!"

That stopped him.

He turned around, a look of confusion in his face.

"Please Sam, just try to understand."

"I do understand. But I don't think you do. Don't you see? You've saved me time and time again. And you have never had to at all.".

She ran closer as he stood there, waiting.

"I think it's time I saved you."

And this time when she leaned in, he stayed as solid as a human.


	11. Chapter 10

There were definitely changes now that Sam was in her first relationship, the most noticeable being her attitude.

Ever since they had gone to the record store and shared that moment of clarity, Sam and Danny had decided to try and make things work.

They had started to hang out more, just going for random flights, exploring random places, taking in the changes between Danny's time and the present.

Sam had definitely become less sulky and a bit more perky, but Tucker wasn't sure how to react to this.

"Sam, really, you're not yourself lately. I know you think you're in love, but he's a ghost!"

"Whatever Tuck, you don't understand. There's just something different about Danny. It's like he's from a different time."

"That's because he is! He's. A. Ghost!"

It wasn't that he wasn't happy for his best friend, he just didn't agree with her decisions lately. Or maybe he just wished he and Valerie had worked out.

They had tried dating a few times after the dance, but after the third time, it had ended. She claimed she had to worry about school, but they both knew that it just wasn't meant to be.

"I know Tucker, but trust me, I won't get hurt." Finally getting annoyed by her best friend, she got up from the lunch table and left for class early.

'Honestly, sometimes Tucker is just so… ugh. Danny has saved me multiple times and that should be enough to trust him.'

Sam sat in her next class, thinking about what Tucker had warned her and the relationship she had found herself in.

Was dating a ghost really a good idea?

She didn't have an answer for that, nor would she likely ever, but the pull she felt towards Danny made her want to try.

But reality was harsh, and he was a ghost. There was no doubt about that.

'Ghosts, ghosts, ghosts… If only I knew a bit more. Even just how they're formed...'

A lightbulb went off. How had she forgotten that they had a whole family of ghost researchers right here in town!

'The Fentons! Why didn't I remember! They're the ones that made all this possible, they must have answers!'

Looking up to see that her teacher, Ms. Teslaff, was busy writing things on the board, she quickly pulled out her cellphone and looked up the Fentons. Writing down an address, she stashed it away for future use, a small smile on her face.

'This is NOT ok!'

After the second kiss they had decided to try being in a relationship. At the time, both of them had been all for it. But now, Danny was having second thoughts.

Their second kiss, really everything in the last few weeks, had begun to bring back more memories of what had been and who it had been with.

'Am I really in love, or just trying to be with her for Sarah? I don't even know anymore, but it doesn't feel right. Either way, I'm a ghost! How could I possibly let this happen? There is no way we can even try to make this work...'

Her face flashed into his mind just then. That luxurious black hair, the way her tank tops always showed her curves, and those eyes… Those were always what drew him in. And the resemblance was always what brought him back.

They were definitely related.

'Maybe I should just tell her. But first maybe I need to find Sarah—if she's even still around—and talk. She obviously moved on, but that doesn't mean she still doesn't think about those days, about us. And if her granddaughter—which I can't believe—is really interested in pursuing this, she'd probably want to know.'

And so he had made up his mind. He was going to track down Sarah and come clean.

"Can I help you sweetie?" Maddie asked as she opened the door to a timid looking high-schooler.

Sam tried her best to smile as she reached out her hand.

"Mrs. Fenton? My name is Sam Manson. I'm a senior at Casper High, and I was hoping to talk to you about a school project."

If there was any hesitation, she didn't show it.

"Oh?" Maddie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes m'am. I'm supposed to find a topic that interests me and research people who are in that field. What with all the ghost activity lately, I've become a bit curious…" her voice trailed off as she rubbed her right hand against her left arm, looking shyly at Maddie.

"Oh! That is wonderful! Please, do come in! I'll get my husband Jack!"

'Whew….'

"Jack, Jack! We have a visitor! A student from the high school wants to interview us for a project! Isn't that great!?"

"Be down in a minute, I need to finish some business!" a man's voice replied as the sound of flushing water came from the upstairs.

"Please dear, take a seat! Can I get you anything? Water, tea?" Maddie motioned to the couch and then the kitchen before continuing."It's not often we get visitors, let alone students, who are interested in our work. Most people find it… well… odd."

Sam just smiled, prepared to answer this question.

"Oh not me! I love the idea of paranormal activity. Ghostly spirits. Infinite realms!"

Maddie's smile got even wider at this answer.

They continued to converse as Jack boomed down the stairs, toilet paper hanging off his shoe.

"Well hello! Welcome! Maddie, did you offer her anything?" Jack grinned as he approached his wife.

"Yes of course, but we're good for now," Maddie answered, turning back to the girl. "You were saying?"

"Oh right, well I would love to interview you for my project, but I was also kinda hoping maybe… I could… work for you guys a bit? You know, cleaning the lab, documenting data… I'm pretty good with computers."

Jack and Maddie looked at each other. Maddie seemed hesitant, as Sam had expected, but the look on her husband's face told her she may not get a say.

"I know I HATE that darn computer. Always acting up, never getting me the info I need!" Jack boomed.

"Jack… We need to discuss this… She's a kid. And plus, that computer has sensitive information." With those two words, Maddie raised her eyebrows, expressing that she didn't think his idea was such a good one.

Sam could tell she was losing them, but had come prepared.

"Well I don't have to do computer work. I'll happily just do some cleanup. Maybe an interview here or there." She smiled, hoping her act was working.

'Come on Sam, you need this! Answers are bound to be found in that lab!'

The couple looked at each other again before nodding and turning back to Sam.

"Well, Sam is it? If you don't mind a little ectoplasm in your hair, then we could use the help," Maddie answered with a shy smile.

Floating outside Sam's house, Danny waited for her to get home from school, something he did a lot. But today she was running late, so he had found his mind wandering a bit.

The decision to get in touch with Sarah was still rattling in his head. But deciding and doing were two very different things. For one, finding Sarah was going to be harder than he thought: Where should he start? He had thought about asking Sam straight up, but he didn't want to raise any alarms And he couldn't seem to find a phone book anywhere either.

'I should have gotten Sam to teach me how to use that, what was it? Oh yeah, computer. I bet I could find Sarah that way.'

But even when he found her, how would he start the conversation? What would he say?

"Hey Sarah, it's me, Danny, you know, the boy you loved fifty years ago."

Saying it out loud made it even cheesier than it sounded in his head.

Losing his train of thought, he suddenly found himself hitting the ground as he saw Sam finally approaching home, a small smile on her face. He always loved the way she smiled and how her eyes glowed when she was happy. It was moments like this that made everything they were doing worth it.

'I really should just ask her,' he decided as he brushed himself off and got up to go surprise her.

She had hoped it would work, and part of her knew it would, but she honestly could not believe it had.

Somehow she had procured an "internship" with the Fentons.

Trying to calm herself down from the excitement of the day, Sam had gone into the kitchen to grab some snacks before heading up stairs.

Upon opening her door, however, she felt an icy chill and dropped all of her cookies out of shock.

"Danny! I told you to stop doing that!" she exclaimed as her ghostly heroappeared by the window.

"Sorry, I can't help it. I love your expressions." He chuckled.

"Well you better hope the maid vacuumed today because I'm still eating these cookies!" she said as she bent over to pick up her snack. Danny joined her and together they managed to save them all before plopping down on the bed.

"You want one?" Sam asked, holding out a cookie.

Danny pushed it back, shaking his head.

"Oh yeah, ghost." Sam nodded, then added, "If you can't eat, don't you starve?"

"Ghosts don't eat, so ghosts don't starve. Yet another perk of being me," he replied, trying to sound optimistic, but instead coming off as a bit sarcastic. "So then, do you miss it?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to open a can of worms but truly curious about his condition.

"All the time! Hamburgers, french fries, chocolate cake! That was some good stuff! Especially when my mom made it. Man could she bake!"

He stopped, realizing that he was rambling, but also realizing that he hadn't even remembered that his mom could bake until that moment.

Sam noticed the blank look in his eyes , beginning to see just how touchy the subject had become.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to… I mean, we can talk about something else." She turned away and took a bite of her cookie.

He put his cold hand on her shoulder, turning her back towards him. "Sam, it's fine. Sometimes I like remembering, even though I can't enjoy them anymore."

"Yea? Do you remember anything else?" she asked curiously.

She had been hoping for a moment like this, where they could talk about their families, their past.

"I remember my dad used to finish all the cookies in one sitting unless there was someone to stop him," Danny said with a smile.

"Wow, that's pretty intense."

"Tell me about it! I mean, we're talking at least two dozen!" At this point, Danny's mood began to lighten, realizing how funny his history really was.

"I bet he could give Jack Fenton a run for his money!" Sam finished.

Danny stopped. Jack Fenton. His nephew. How did Sam know anything about Jack Fenton? Let alone that he had an obsession with sweets?

Pushing the thoughts away, he looked at her before they both burst into laughter.

'Perfect timing, now maybe I can slip in a bit about her family…'

"So, does your mom ever bake?" he began, trying to stay cool.

"Psh, nah, she's too busy trying to make me a debutant: pink dresses, tea parties, makeup, you name it! Those cookies came from the store," Sam said, rather amused.

"Man, that must be awful, not having your mom bake you cookies."

"Meh, I'm pretty over it by now. It's all I've ever known really."

'Ok Danny, keep going, get in…'

"And your dad doesn't do anything? I feel like I never see them around."

'Just like Sarah's parents.'

"My dad? Yeah right! He's too busy with the business to care. When he finally inherited the family fortune, it went to his head, despite how much my Grandma tried to stop him."

Sam talked about it all so casually, like she really didn't mind the fact that her parents weren't in her life much. But Danny knew differently, had seeen differently, ever since the rescue. And he knew that as much as she tried to hide it, she would always crave her parents' love.

But the mention of Grandma had him intrigued, and as much as he wanted to support her, he needed to push on with his mission.

"I always wondered why you guys lived in such a big house…" he started.

"Yup, family fortune. Unfortunately. My grandma always handled it well, using it for adventures now and then, helping people, but my dad, he let it ruin his life most days."

Danny put his arm on her shoulder again, allowing her to lean into him for comfort, not noticing how warm he had suddenly become.

"Sam, I'm so sorry."

She looked into his eyes, as if trying to solve some hidden puzzle.

"What?" he said, losing his chance for more answers.

Letting him take his hand off her shoulders, she said cautiously, "You were… warm. Like really warm. Warmer than I've ever felt." Her cautious voice became one of concern.

'Warm? Is this another side effect? They seem to be coming and going a lot lately…'

As much as Danny was curious about the sudden change in his temperature, he was even more curious about Sarah, and knew he needed to turn the conversation back around.

"Sam, you of all people should know by now that your body heat transfers to me when we touch."

'Bingo, good excuse!'

"Yea, I guess, but still, Danny, didn't they tell you anything when you came back?"

"Sam, trust me. I have things under control. It's you I'm worried about," he finished, not wanting his concern for his current condition to overpower Sam's problems.

"It's fine, really. Forget parents. Between my Grandma, and now you, I've got a pretty good support system. . 'There we go Sam…'

"So your grandma is pretty cool? Even cooler than me?" He proceeded cautiously, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Well, she keeps my mom from stuffing me into pink dresses. And when I'm with her, I can be whoever I want to be!" Sam said, a smile returning to her face. "When I was little, she'd let me ride with her on her scooter and we would always have so much fun going to the mall and just hanging out. "

At this point, Sam couldn't stop, all of the confusion about Danny slipping away.

"And let's not forget how good her cooking was! She used to make veggie lasagna, eggplant parm, tofu scramble. Hmmm." She closed her eyes, picturing all the amazing food she used to enjoy.

"Used to?" Danny asked, trying to hide his extreme curiosity at Sarah's outcome.

Seeing Danny's pain, she quickly added, "Oh no! It's not like that! She's still alive, in fact, she lives down the hall. It's just with old age she can't really cook anymore."

'Down the hall… she lives DOWN THE HALL'

"Oh good, I was worried for a moment. It's hard losing your best friend."

The conversation stopped for a moment, as Sam leaned back onto her bed. Danny slowly followed suit, the two of them laying side by side.

"I hope I never lose you Danny," she whispered, so only he could hear.


	12. Chapter 11

Sarah lives with Sam's family! But of course, she's if she's still alive she must be getting up there. Needing someone to watch after her...'

If ghosts needed sleep, Danny wouldn't be getting a wink of it. Instead he was on top of the music store, listening to the faint hum of a local band playing cover songs from below, contemplating his next move.

While it had seemed like a good idea to find and approach Sarah earlier that day, now that he knew how close he was, he wasn't so sure.

He and Sam had shared some really personal stuff that afternoon, things even Danny didn't know he remembered until those moments.

'My mom used to bake the best cookies. Man I miss those…'

Was it worth the risk of betraying Sam's trust just so he could get a little closure?

'Danny, stop. You need to think about now. Sarah was then, and even if you do confront her, how will you explain all this?'

Despite how much he tried to put all the pieces together, there was no easy way to explain the situation. Sure, it had gotten easier the past few weeks with memories returning, but could anyone really believe that he was the spirit of a boy who died fifty years ago?

Sam lay awake in her bed, her mind too cluttered to even try to sleep.

'Why did you let him unearth such hard memories today? He looked so pained when he left…'

She had learned a great deal about her ghostly boyfriend today, more than she ever expected him to even remember. And yet, she wished she hadn't.

The more Sam learned about Danny and his past, the more he became real to her. And the last thing she needed was to think he was a reality, when they both knew that he may not be someday.

'Forget about the pain Sam, what about his body temperature. No human is warm enough to transfer that much heat that fast.'

The idea that something unnormal, even for a ghost, was happening to Danny brought a new sort of fear to Sam. The fear that, while he could not age, that didn't mean she wouldn't lose him someday.

Small tears appeared in her eyes as she began to think about her life without Danny. Up until now, she had always been so miserable. Enough, in fact, to consider taking her own life. But ever since Danny had arrived, she had been happy, smiling, living. If and when Danny finally had to move on, well, she just couldn't stand the thought.

"Hey Mrs. Fenton, I'm ready for my first day on duty!" Sam said, trying to smile, as she approached Maddie after school.

"Oh honey, call me Maddie, please!" Maddie responded, letting the girl inside."Jack! Sam's here! She's going do some minor chores around the lab for us!"

"Great Maddie, send her down! I'm just finishing up some computer stuff!"

Sam had only seen the lab on TV, but she'd never expected it to be as expansive as she what she found when she went downstairs. The room was large and metallic, steel desks laden with various gadgets scattered throughout. But the biggest wonder was the Ghost Portal, a large opening on the wall opposite the stairs that was currently sealed by two yellow and black striped doors. The size alone was enough to make Sam shiver, let alone knowing what existed on the other side.

Maddie wasn't joking when she said they could use someone to help cleanup; several of the gadgets had green sludge on them, while others were just gathering dust from lack of use. The floor was a mess as well, with crumpled paper and shards of metal in various corners.

'What have they been doing down here?' she found herself wondering, not sure if she wanted an answer.

'I just hope Danny never gets involved with any of those sharp ones over there…'

Jack was sitting at the computer, staring rather intently at the screen, when she arrived. Hearing her footsteps he turned and looked at her.

"Hey! Sammy! Welcome to the lab! Sorry it's a bit of a mess. Experimenting you know!"

Sam tried to smile, but being called "Sammy" was not something she was used to from anyone but her Grandma.

"It's ok Mr. Fenton, that's what I'm here for. Just point me to the broom and I'll get to work!" she said, plastering on the most enthusiasm she could muster about getting covered in green goop.

"Oh, brooms aren't going to do you any good down here! What you need is Fenton Ecto-be-gone! And a hazmat suit!"

Jack seemed excited at the idea of fitting the girl into an orange jumpsuit, despite Sam's dismay. Luckily, there were a few in their closet that both met her style and made Jack happy.

"Here yah go kiddo, take this bottle and spray it at the green stuff – ectoplasm – and it should start to deteriorate. I had an easier way, the Fenton Thermos, but I seem to have misplaced that…" Jack scratched his head as he went back over to the computer.

'What have I gotten myself into…'

It had been a late night, and despite the constant battle, Danny still had no answer to his current dilemma.

Luckily for him, he had managed to find a distraction in the form of a glowing blue dragon that was currently setting fire to the local skating rink.

'This place still exists? It's been here for ages,' he thought, remembering a couple of dates he had been on as a child.

"BALLL!" the dragon was roaring as blue flames came from her mouth, causing panic to all those below.

'Although it won't be around much longer!'

"Hey you! Dragon breath, did anyone ever tell you that you need feet to skate?!" Danny yelled, sending a beam from his hand.

Since his last ghost attack, Danny had been practicing, and as a result he was finally able to emit ghost rays without even thinking.

The dragon flapped her wings, causing enough wind to deflect the beam, and continued on her rampage.

"BALLL!" she roared as the music from inside blared.

'Great, she can't take my beams and I left that soup-thing at Sam's…'

As he floated above the building, trying to think of a new solution, he watched as another bout of fire came from the dragon's mouth. But what he hadn't noticed before was that every time she let out the flames the medallion around her neck glowed a bright green.

'Her power source?'

He had to find out, and the only way he knew was to get closer. But getting closer meant getting charred.

"Oh wait, ghost, DUH!" he said, smacking his head and turning invisible.

Unable to see her opponent, the dragon was sent into a panic before turning back towards the rink and opening her mouth for one last blow.

But it didn't come. Instead she found herself shrinking in size, her shape morphing until she came to a stand on the ground, completely human in form.

Danny floated above her, holding the medallion in one hand and staring down at the girl in shock.

"I just wanted to go to the ball…" she cried, looking up at her ghostly foe.

"Sorry miss, but I think that this time you're going to have to miss out." Danny replied, coming down to the ground beside her.

"What ball are you talking about anyway?" he questioned, hoping to get a civil answer.

"My brother's… sob… coronation ball… he's getting… sob… married tomorrow and he didn't… sob… invite me."

'Maybe he was worried about your bad breath.'

"Coronation? What time are we in, the 1800's?"

"Well… sob… yes… but you see… sob… time doesn't matter. What matters is when those who you love hurt you the most… sob…" she responded, trying to hold back green tears.

Danny was beginning to feel truly sorry for this girl, despite having just attacked her moments ago. And what she was saying was very true. Pain was pain, no matter the time.

"Miss, maybe your brother had a reason. Did you ever do anything that would make him want to uninvite you?" Danny asked, trying to smile while still keeping his distance.

"Well… sob… his bride, she never seemed to like me. She was always JEALOUS of my powers!" Her eyes began to glow green as the hatred filled her body.

"Woah, hold on. Take a step back. Isn't this the source of your power?" Danny asked, holding up the medallion far enough away to keep her from grabbing.

"Well, yes, but I don't even want it! It's too dangerous! Eregon, my brother, he has one too, twice as powerful as mine and he hasn't even told his bride about it! All he does is use it for evil and if she knew he was the real cause of our realm's destruction she'd leave him for good. The girl's tears began to dry as she thought about all the bad things her brother had done.

"At least I don't mean to cause harm - I only use mine because it's bound to my body. Unfortunately I was born with the ability to get upset rather looked up at Danny, her eyes getting bigger as she explained her story.

"I think you need to explain. About your brother, his powers, your powers, everything. Clear the air."

"But if I try he'll just yell at me and then I'll just get angry, and then I'll turn into that monster again!" she shrieked.

"I can guarantee that will not happen," a small smile forming on his face.

"How?"

"Well for one, I have your amulet."

The girl had been so upset that she hadn't even realized that he did, in fact, have her amulet.

"But… but… but… it's bound to my body! Only one may remove it and prophecies state it had to be a special ghost. One who lives on both realms."

"Well, seeing as I'm a ghost, and I live in the human world, I must fit the bill." Danny grinned, suddenly wondering if this had anything to do with his recent 'mood swings'.

"You must! Oh great one! Thank you, thank you! What can I ever do to repay you?!" Her mood suddenly turned around, going from tearful to cheerful in a matter of seconds.

"Just promise you'll keep that dragon brother of yours away from here!" Danny smiled.

"Deal!" she said happily as she began to fade away. Just as she was about to disappear, however, she added. "Savior, what's your name?"

"Phantom, Danny Phantom."

"Oh Phantom, thank you for fulfilling my prophecy. I will forever be indebted to you."

And just like that, she was gone.

Danny, however, stood outside the rink, holding her amulet in his hands.

'Feeling warm, losing control of my abilities, flickering. One of both realms. There must be a connection.'

The amulet suddenly began to glow a faint green color, just as it had when the girl had worn it, as if answering Danny's questions. Slightly freaked out, he quickly tucked the amulet into his back pocket before flying off.

Two hours and three bottles of Ecto-be-gone later, Sam was finally done cleaning up the lab. Jack had finished up his computer work about half way into her job and wandered upstairs, hoping to find more fudge.

This left the computer completely vacant.

Sam had said she wouldn't touch the computer, and she really wanted to keep that promise, but the whole time she was cleaning all she could think about was the fact that it had all the information she could possibly need.

'Sam, stop. Don't touch the computer. There's gotta be a less risky way. You just got this job after all…'

She had somehow managed to get through all of her chores without touching it, but the allure was too strong now that she was done. Putting her last bottle away she peered up the stairs to make sure no one was coming then made a beeline for the desk.

To her dismay, it was password protected.

"Probably for the best…" She found herself whispering as she wandered back upstairs. "Maybe next time."

What the dragon girl had said was really jumbling his mind. What sort of prophecy could she have meant? And was he really the one who fulfilled it?

But more so, what she had said about time and love had really struck a chord. She was right after all; time didn't matter. It was those who you loved that did. And despite everything, he owed both the women he loved an explanation.

By now he knew the location by heart, and it was his heart that was leading him straight to Sam's.

ddd

Sam was sitting on her bed, having just finished combing ectoplasm out of her hair and reading another of her favorite graphic novels. She didn't even notice the sudden chill in the air when Danny snuck into her room.

Deciding to be sneaky, he quickly became invisible and floated over to her bed.

"Hey Sam!" he said as his head reappeared, sticking out of her book.

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The book went flying as Sam jumped up; and Danny just floated there, laughing.

"It is NOT funny Danny! Really, grow up!"

"Sorry, can't, ghost remember?"

"Hahaha you know what I mean," she replied, crossing her arms and turning away from him.

"Sam, I was just messing with you, come on, lighten up."

She was still turned away, but he knew what would make her cave. Flying over to where she was standing, he leaned in a pecked her on the cheek.

"That's it?" she said, smiling and finally giving in.

"For now," he finished as he went back over to her bed and sat down. "We need to talk."

'This can't be the break up talk, it's only been a few weeks…' She pondered as she sat down next to him.

"Ok, what's up?"

Before Danny could actually answer, Sam's door opened to her grandmother sitting on the other side.

"Sammy, are you ok? I heard you…" She stopped and let out a slow 'awwww,' her eyes getting a bit bigger.

The door had opened so suddenly that Danny hadn't had the chance to turn invisible.


	13. Chapter 12

Sarah quickly removed her rather thick glasses, rubbed her eyes, and then replaced them. Still, he was there.

"Uhhhh…." was all she could say.

' _I had guessed, but never thought it could really be true. It CAN'T be true! How?'_

he had tried to become invisible when Sarah did the glasses thing, but his body seemed to be thinking otherwise, as he his attempt to do so failed. After all, he had come here with a mission. No, this wasn't how he had planned to go about it, but he knew what had to be done.

"Sarah?" he rather squeaked out. Indeed, he was shocked too.

To his surprise, it was Sam who answered first.

"Wait? What is going on here? Grandma?"

But she still couldn't answer. Somehow she had just gone stiff.

' _This is impossible! Danny—sort of—here? Now? And at THAT AGE?'_

Before either of them could say anything more, Sarah fell backwards in her chair, completely passed out.

* * *

When Sarah came to, she found herself lying on Sam's bed, out of her chair, Danny's green eyes gazing down at her.

"Ah!"

"Grandma?! Are you okay?" It was Sam's voice that finally got Sarah out of her trance.

"Sam…? Is that you, honey? I must still be dreaming. You're here, and that's normal, but how can—?"

"Grandma, what is—"

Before she could finish, Danny cut her off.

"Sarah. You're not dreaming. It's me. Danny."

He had finally managed to let it all out. Everything that had been building up since he realized the relationship had all come down to this moment.

"Danny? But… how?"

She had finally sat up, which meant that Danny was now sitting across from her, still looking straight into her eyes. Next to her, Sam was seated on the edge of the bed, utter confusion on her face.

' _I wish he'd stop that. It's really intimidating. Those aren't even the eyes I remember.'_

"It's a very long story, believe me." Now that she knew it was him, he let out a small smile.

' _I knew she'd never truly forget. I didn't.'_

"I do, I think," Sarah replied firmly.

"Wait! Hold on. What is going on here?" Sam had finally absorbed their conversation enough to get the idea that somewhere along the line, someone had forgotten to mention something to her.

"Sam, I wanted to tell you. And I was actually going to before Sarah showed up today…" Danny began.

"Wait? Sarah? You know her name? You've never even met until today…"

"No, Sam. We've met before…" Danny continued, turning back to Sarah for support; sadly, she wasn't much help. Apparently this all still seemed suspicious to her too.

Things in Sam's mind began to click. The looks her Grandma had been giving her during those news stories. The similar tastes in music. The scattered reaction Danny had had when she told him her name.

"When? How? What?" were the only words that came out of Sam's mouth, and Danny knew he had to start at the beginning.

"We dated. Fifty years ago. When I was still alive," he said bluntly and without any enthusiasm.

* * *

"Well that didn't go very well."

Danny was now sitting on the edge of the bed, Sarah was in her chair. After learning the truth, Sam had gotten up and stormed out, not wanting to hear another word.

After a few short minutes of silence, Danny finally broke.

"Sarah, talk to me.

She turned to him and squinted. Finally she opened her mouth only to say, "I don't know. This can't be real."

"Believe me, I know. When I was first resurrected, I had no memory of anything except where I was from."

"Resurrected?" So then… you're alive?"

' _I saw that coming. Hmmmm, what do I say? Yes, I am alive, but I'm really not. I'm a ghost. Sort of The ghosts people see in movies are nothing like what I am. I am more than that. Or part of me is, otherwise these memories wouldn't exist. Right? And then there's apparently a prophecy about me being of both realms?'_

These were all very good questions Danny found himself asking, but had never found an answer to.

"No Sarah, I'm not alive. Not really. I'm a ghost." He sighed, admitting the reality of his existence.

"So you did die that night?" she asked.

"Yes."

"How?"

He'd been expecting that one too, but once again he was unsure how to answer. He remembered how he had died, the one thing all ghosts remember, but until recently he hadn't remembered the details. But all the rescues he'd been doing had finally allowed the memories to come back. However, saying it out loud would only make it real, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

But he had to be. For her sake.

"That night, the night before graduation."

"Yeah, I remember. You were at my place and my parents made you leave early, and you made fun of me and my curfew."

Sarah was old, but memories like this never left.

Danny stayed silent; he didn't remember the details the way she had.

"You never called."

"What?"

"You were supposed to call me later when you got home."

She really did remember those small details.

"Sorry, I didn't call, but I had a good reason. I stopped that night, to get you flowers. We were together, more than friends, but we had never really reached that level of a real couple and I was going away soon, and you were staying behind. I just wanted you to know before I left…"

To Danny's surprise, things were coming back very clearly now. When he first remembered that night, his death, and her, he only remembered bits and pieces. Now, however, he was remembering everything exactly as it happened. Funny how things worked out that way.

"Danny…"

"Shh, I'm on a roll; let me finish. I walked by a local shop on my way home, advertising discount flowers, and it made me realize how I felt."

' _How did you feel?'_ But before she could say that out loud, he continued.

"I was at the register when the robber showed up. He demanded the money and the clerk refused. Any other robber would have pulled out a gun, but this guy had a bomb."

He heard a faint gasp come from Sarah.

"He threw it. And in no time flat the whole store was on fire. It was late enough that it was a pretty empty store, but still the shock and flames hit me and I passed out before I could even begin running. I never made it out and by the time the firemen came, it was too late. I was gone. "

Sarah sat and listened. Thinking back, she did remember reports on a fire of unknown causes at the grocery store, but the reporter said all victims were unidentifiable. Danny, her Danny, had been one of them. How had she, let alone his family, never put the pieces together?

They both just sat in silence for a few moments, absorbing what had just been said. Finally, it was Sarah who broke the silence this time.

"Why flowers? Why were you coming back to my place after we had seen each other so recently?"

"I realized something that night when I left. Knowing we wouldn't have a lot of time left to make things happen."

' _Oh, I hope this isn't what I think it is! After all these years, I may finally know…'_

* * *

At that moment, Sam had decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Standing outside the door, she was about to knock when she heard it.

"Sarah, I was in love with you."

They sat in silence for a little while, unaware of the fact that Sam was outside.

' _Love? Danny? MY Danny was in LOVE with my GRANDMA? So does that make all of this, our relationship, a lie?'_

* * *

Sarah was the one to break the silence this time.

"Danny, that night, after you didn't call, I was really worried about you. And then you didn't show up at school. I was heartbroken. I have been ever since."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I knew that it could have waited. There would have been plenty of opportunities for what I had planned. "

"You had no way of knowing what would happen, though. It was unexpected."

"But still, I left you, defenseless, way too early."

If there was anything that Danny had begun to feel lately, it was remorse for leaving Sarah all those years ago.

"I moved on... I met another man, and had amazing children, and Samantha too!" Sarah perked up. If there was one good thing that had come from all this mess, it was Sam.

"You did, and I'm glad. I never would have wanted you unhappy."

This was becoming very weird for Danny. The warmth he had felt during his recent conversation with Sam was coming back as he told his story. And his story? Danny hadn't been able to remember this much since he came back, so why did he suddenly know what had happened, and how to feel about it? It was as if someone else was feeding the memories to him.

Sam, on the other hand, was still dead silent, simply from shock. She had known that Danny wasn't from her time — he was a ghost, after all — but she had never expected THIS.

"I still was, though. I did move on, and I still went to community college like I had decided, but I barely had the energy to care. After losing you, there wasn't any real reason to. I guess maybe I was in love too."

Her glasses had begun to fog up, which only meant tears. For the first time in a long time, she was crying. She had wished for this day, the chance to see Danny again, several times after his death, but had never expected it to happen. Now, though, after having moved on and raised a family, she wasn't sure she wanted it. Tom had always tried to help her forget the horrors of her past, and she had finally done so, only to have them return.

"Tom always tried his best to help me through this. Since the day we met, he knew I was troubled, and knew he'd have a lot of work on his hands, but he never complained. He was my rock when I had hit the bottom, and for awhile we prospered. But I never forgot you, Danny, never!"

"I wish I could say the same," Danny commented quietly.

"Hmm?"

"When Clockwork, the time ghost, resurrected me, I couldn't remember anything. I didn't even know my own name."

"Then how did you just remember all that?"

"I don't know. I mean, I was resurrected for the sole purpose of fixing Jack and Maddie's portal. They had everything right, but Clockwork knew it wouldn't work unless they sent a ghost through. So that's why I'm here. They wanted someone who knew the town, and there were no ghosts in the Ghost Zone who were qualified."

"So they found you?"

"Apparently, every human who dies is sent to a sort of ghost-graveyard. Their souls still exist, just not their bodies. It took some work, but Clockwork finally cracked the code to resurrection. Every other ghost until now has either been formed in the zone from loose ectoplasm, or appeared right after their death. But not me. You're looking at the first ghost to ever be brought back from the dead."

"And all so they'd have someone who knew the town be the one to fix the portal? That sounds like a lot of work."

"Well, from what I was told, it would be rather difficult to make it back, so they wanted someone who wouldn't cause trouble, in case there was no way of getting back to the ghost zone. You would not believe how devious most ghosts are. Obviously, once I was brought back, I had a lot to learn."

"If you didn't remember, how would it matter whether or not you came back? You wouldn't have remembered anyway."

Sarah was growing very confused, very fast.

"I was getting there. Clockwork, the Master of Time as he's called, was able to pull up memories from my life and show them all to me. Just the simple ones: mostly of my family, the town. How I died. Only really a few of you…"

Danny actually felt ashamed of that.

"All that work, to make a portal work?"

"I've been getting this feeling lately there was more to it."

"So if he had to show you your own memories, how did you remember all this stuff you just told me?"

The feeling that someone else was feeding him information hit again as he tried to find an answer to Sarah's questions.

' _Does Clockwork know more than he let on? Is it possible that my human memories return the longer I'm here?'_

Danny finally decided to settle on a rather pathetic answer.

"You know, I can't answer all your questions. I know you expect answers, but sometimes I just can't supply them, okay?"

He was beginning to get a bit annoyed. He had expected questions, but never really thought about how to answer them.

Sarah just looked away, a little put out, before finally saying, "Sorry, it's just been SO long and I just… hoped."

"It's ok. But you do realize that I'm a GHOST right? I'm here, but I'm also not. What we once had, that can never be. We both moved on…"

It was silent for awhile, both of them lost in their thoughts of each other and the past.

Finally, Sarah broke the silence. "Well, maybe we should see if Sam is ok." 

* * *

At the sound of this, Sam quickly ran back down the stairs and out of the house.

' _Danny and my grandma. Fifty years ago. Ghost zone, Clockwork. Memories. Love.'_

It was the last thought that got to Sam the most. Love. They had loved each other once, something she thought she had found. But now, after all she heard, Sam began to wonder if it was all just false emotions.

* * *

" _It's about time you found her."_

_Staring at his domed screen, staff in hand, the ghost smirked._

" _I should have told you about all the memories I stole, but I didn't want you rushing into things. I've been trying to save them for the perfect moment, but you've made it so hard with the girl."_

_He quickly became older before adding, "The girl. What to do about the girl? She's becoming a nuisance, but ever so essential to the prophecy."_

Turning to float away, he took one last peek at the ghost child and elderly woman sitting on the bed.

" _I guess time will tell"_


	14. Chapter 13

After the conversation had ended, both Danny and Sarah had searched the house for Sam to no avail.

While Danny seemed very worried, Sarah knew her granddaughter well and assured him she'd be back soon; she just needed time to cool off and think.

And as much as he wanted to search for her, he had his own issues to figure out.

From what Clockwork had explained the day of his resurrection, he knew that memories would slowly come back the more he stayed in Amity Park, but he'd never expected the sudden burst of his past like that of what he had received today.

' _Even when I discovered my name, the memories didn't come back that quickly. Is this what the dragon-girl meant about being of both realms? Is there something in me that's pulling back these memories?'_

' _These memories, they're messing me up. Making me flicker, fall, feel warm. Something is going on here that Clockwork failed to explain…'_

Clockwork. Was it possible that Clockwork was the one sharing these memories with him? Making him remember? After all, when Danny was resurrected, Clockwork had hinted that there was more to the story.

' _Did he ever mention a prophecy? I can't even remember now…'_

He had tried to get the details of his most recent ghost battle out of his head, but there was something about her prophecy, the way she said, "lives on both realms," that made Danny believe it was about more than just his choice to live in the human world.

' _Could I possibly still have some humanity? Even just a trace? I've yet to meet any other ghost who has memories and emotions like I do…'_

That wasn't saying much, as he had only starting battling ghosts out here recently and hadn't been given a chance to meet any in the zone. But still, all the ghosts he had met attacked first and asked questions never.

' _Why me? Why was I the one who was resurrected? Why not pick a ghost with no history in this stupid town? No chance at making mistakes. No chance at falling in love…'_

LOVE.

What a powerful combination of letters, once used to describe the way he felt as a human, now used to describe the way he felt as a ghost. Somehow, love always had a way of messing him up.

While exploring all of these thoughts, Danny had been flying over the town, checking all the places they had visited on their recent dates, and even some they hadn't. But Sam was making herself harder to find than even himself when he went invisible.

' _Sam. I really hope you didn't do something stupid tonight. If you ever let the truth about my past affect our future, I don't know what I'd do. I can't lose someone again, not this way…'_

Although it was true that he had once had feelings for Sarah Manson, that was 50 years ago, when they were BOTH teenagers. Now here he was, stuck in his teenage form, while she was in her late 60's. There was no way that could work, and frankly, Danny didn't want it to. Whether it was some form of humanity in him, or just ghostly emotions playing tricks, he knew what he wanted.

And what he wanted was Sam.

* * *

It was getting late, and despite her rebellious side when it came to her home life, Sam still felt like she was doing something wrong. But she didn't want to go home – her parents were away on business and the last person she wanted to see was her grandmother.

Everywhere in town reminded her of him and the fun they had had in the past few weeks. Dates, explorations, even just random walks, all seemed like a total lie now.

' _He let you think he cared about you. He made you feel special. And the whole time he was hiding the truth, hiding himself!'_

Sam knew that Danny hadn't always remembered the truth about his past; and she had always given him the benefit of the doubt when he said memories just sort of appeared. But she also knew that memories as big as his former relationship with her grandmother had to have arrived before today, and was certain that she had helped bring them back.

' _I did always take pride in getting my looks from Grandma…'_

Sam didn't want to blame her grandma, honest and truly she knew that it wasn't her fault, but she also didn't believe that her grandma wasn't hiding more from her in regards to her past and the memories of what once was.

' _She moved on, met my grandpa and had my dad. But now that I think about it, she never really wanted to talk about her childhood, or college years, or really anything before I was born.''_

Her head hurt from all the thinking. She needed somewhere to go, something to do to get her mind onto anything else.

Her mind wandered back to the school, specifically the roof, and what she had almost done that night. Why not go back? Try again, and maybe succeed this time.

' _Not like I have much going for me here…'_ she found herself thinking glumly as instinct led her to the gym.

' _He's not around. He won't stop you this time. Just go up, take a breath and step…'_

She stopped at the corner, looking both ways and thinking. To her right, the school and her possible fate. The left? Well the left was another familiar place, and possibly a different chance to escape for awhile.

She pulled out her cellphone, hit the speed dial for 3, and smiled when the call went through.

"Hey Tuck, you busy? Mind if I come over and hang out?"

* * *

"Give it up Tucker, I beat you AGAIN!"

Sam and Tucker were sitting in the basement of Tucker's condo, playing Mario Kart and drinking diet soda. While Tucker had ample opportunities to practice, it being his game, somehow Sam had managed to beat him in every race.

And you could tell by the look on Tucker's face that he was not happy.

"Geeze Sam, cut a dude a break sometimes ok?"

"Never! I will forever be the queen of Rainbow Road!"

Tucker just rolled his eyes before grabbing the remote and flipping off the TV.

"What?! No! I was just warming up!" Sam cried, looking over at her friend in despair.

"Sam, something is up," Tucker began, a look of worry entering his face. "You only play this good when you need to forget about life for awhile, and given that it's close to 1AM, you must have a lot to forget."

The girl next to him crossed her arms and turned away, trying not to act like a complete baby, but knowing that Tucker would eventually wear her down and get the truth.

' _But what if he can't handle the truth? What I almost did. What I want to do.'_

Tucker had always been a good friend to her, even when she was a total spaz. Maybe that's why she had decided to turn left instead of right earlier.

But despite it all, she could never admit to him what she had been wanting to do for quite some time.

His voice broke her silence.

"Sam… Is it Phantom?"

Hearing his ghostly name struck a cord, and Sam slowly turned around.

She didn't know what to say, not really. Again Tucker was right, but again she couldn't admit it.

"His name is Danny, by the way…" she began, saying the only thing that made sense.

Tucker's eyebrows raised a bit at that name, as if maybe he knew something.

"Danny… Why does that seem so familiar?"

"I've used it before…" Sam began raising hers back.

"I know, I know, but for some reason it really strikes a chord today." _'Who's mental now?'_

"But seriously Sam, please, as your friend, tell me what is going on." Tucker reached his hand over to Sam's shoulder, pulling her into him.

"It's complicated, really complicated…" Sam sighed.

' _How do I explain to my best friend that my boyfriend used to date my grandmother?'_

"You know me, I live for complicated," Tucker smiled.

"It's just… it turns out that he had a life… back then…"

' _That seems safe…'_

"Well of course he did, he wasn't always a ghost!"

"But that's the thing. Some of the research I've been doing says that some ghosts really are just forms of ectoplasm, not spirits of those past. While others are from our past, but always seem to have an evil motive. No one on record has ever experienced a ghost as human as Danny."

"Woah, Sam, when have you had time for research?"

"Tuck, I do more than you think."

' _I hang out in goop covered labs. I contemplate stepping off roofs. I make out with ghosts…'_

Trying to forget the last one, she let out a soft laugh, knowing that Tucker spent most of his time researching the latest gadgets.

"But we always knew he had a past Sam, so why should that matter now?" Tucker continued.

"Like I said, it's complicated. But trust me when I say that me and Danny are done for a bit." She turned away again, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

She had yet to admit out loud that maybe she and Danny were really DONE. While she knew it was rough, it was a hard thing to just give up. But telling Tucker made it real.

"Danny… Wait! I remember now!" Tucker interrupted the silence after a few minutes.

"Hmmm?" Sam said, turning around and wiping her tears.

"Remember when Lancer gave that stupid report on family history, I was at the cemetery looking up old Foleys. Somehow I got lost and found myself in Fe's and not Fo's. Normally I wouldn't care, but there was one that stood out to me, surrounded by irises like someone had just left them."

Sam swallowed a breath, knowing what was coming.

"The name said Danny Fenton," Tucker finished.

* * *

When Danny felt down, he retreated to one of two places.

Seeing as one was the sight of their first date, he had chosen the second today and found himself hovering silently in the Fenton lab.

' _Wish that damn portal would open…'_ he thought as he stared at the yellow and black bars until they made him dizzy.

The Fentons weren't around right now, the house was silent, which meant that he didn't have to stay invisible as he wandered around the lab.

Having discovered his magic soup/ghost holder here before, he had hoped maybe there would be something else waiting for him today. And as the Fentons had become rather predictable, his hopes were correct.

Laying on one of the tables was what looked like an open triangle, made of steel and containing glowing green sensors. Danny knew he should remember the proper name for such an object, but his memory was failing him at that moment.

Either way, he had to investigate, and slowly floated over to pick it up.

The device itself was rather light, and it looked like it had some sort of air powered jets on the back. What for, he wasn't sure, but he was both scared and curious to find out.

Moving it around in his hands, he couldn't find any sort of activation switch, only lots of lights and sensors, a few of which glowed slightly when he touched it.

The glowing was enough to scare him off; the fear of some sort of alarm or ecto-activated weapon was far greater than his curiosity about the object.

' _File this under: Don't touch,'_ He thought as he quickly put the item down and moved away from the table.

However, his business wasn't done and he now knew that curiosity had been known to get the better of him in his former life. So much so that he was now in front of the computer, trying to figure out just what the heck the point was.

As if answering his internal questions, the screen suddenly buzzed on, showing an alert.

_5PM. Deliver flowers to cemetery. DO NOT FORGET._

Danny just stared at it, wondering what it meant before it went blank. Seeing as it was much later than five, he assumed that the Fentons had either forgotten to turn off the memo or forgotten to visit the cemetery.

' _Technology. What else can you do?'_ he asked himself as he stared at the now black screen, his green eyes reflecting back.

' _Maybe it can provide me with answers…'_ His hand reached for the little device he had seen Jack use before to navigate the computer.

The screen sprang to life, taking him directly to a long list of what he assumed must be locations of things on the computer. Using the device to move a small white arrow, he let his eyes wander as he read off the list.

"Portal X. Doom. Candy Crush? What kind of crazy stuff are you doing down here Jack?"

He kept reading, hoping for something useful, all the while a little red dot in the corner blinking with the reminder he had seen before.

He was about to give up when he discovered an picture that looked like a file folder labeled, "Family Photos."

' _What, no more physical albums?'_

He had a feeling he knew what he'd find when he clicked the folder, and his instincts were right. The first thing to pop up was the image he had seen before – him and Jazz – but given the time to truly look at it, he realized just how much he had missed his sister.

She had always been his rock, even more so than Sarah. Constantly standing up for him, keeping him safe from harm.

And how had he returned the favor? By dying.

He couldn't stand it, and quickly hit the small white arrow he assumed to be the "next" symbol. A new photo appeared, this time of his whole family.

"Mom. Dad…"

He hit the arrow again, unable to take it as he found himself immersed in even more old photos.

"Just look away Fenton, remember, you can always look away…"

But he really couldn't. As much as it hurt, he needed to see these things to remind himself of what he had lost.

The last photo was what did it, causing him to step back and turn away, a small tear in his eye.

The photo showed two young friends, one a messy haired boy, the other a wide eyed girl. Even in black and white, he knew those eyes were violet. They couldn't be more than ten, and they were together in the sandbox, working on an elaborate castle. The caption at the top said nothing more than "Danny and childhood friend."

"Childhood friend? That's it? No 'Sarah' or 'Girlfriend'?"

Things began to click as he thought about it. The Fentons, to his knowledge, had never actually mentioned Sarah. And if they knew who she was, he was sure they would have been all over her for answers.

' _They really don't know. Did Jazz ever even mention the relationship I had with Sarah'_

He found the X in the corner and quickly clicked it, wanting to put that part of his life behind. It had been a long day, what with Sarah and Sam and everything that had been discovered, and honestly he was ready to forget it all over again.

However, the one thing—erm person, who could make him do that was currently the reason he needed to forget.

He took one last look at the strange computer, watching the screen slowly fade back to black. Could he really live in this world? One where memories were stored on devices and music was full of angst?

The black screen continued to reflect his green eyes, but he could have sworn, if even for a second, he had seen a hint of blue


	15. Chapter 14

' _Fenton. He's a Fenton! Why didn't I see that one coming?'_

As if Sam's head wasn't full enough for the day, finding out Danny's family origins just about topped it off.

Although, really, she should have pieced it together sooner. Danny was the only one who could open the portal. The Fentons were obsessed with ghosts for some reason. And honestly, Jack and Danny had some small similarities.

' _I wonder if they know…'_

She had to tell them, alert them to the fact that they had family flying around Amity Park. But she also knew it wasn't her place, and despite her efforts, it would probably bite her in the butt.

' _If Danny hasn't approached them yet, it must be for a good reason. After all, that's why he held off with my Grandma…'_

So now she found herself at the cemetery in the middle of the night, having left Tucker's with little explanation.

Flowers in hand, she approached where she knew that section would be, keeping ever-silent in her endeavors.

Several of the FE's had flowers on them, mostly recent, as Sam began to search for the one she wanted.

She took in a chilled breath when she found it, an elaborately ornate stone sticking up from the ground, with swirls and clouds carved into the front.

_Daniel "Danny" Fenton.  
We will always remember your smile, your drive, and your love of the world.  
Forever in our memories  
Mom, Dad, and Jazz._

There were flowers there, which, now that she thought about it, made sense. After all, Jack and Maddie had to be some sort of relative of his.

She laid hers down next to theirs, feeling a bit weird since she actually knew the person—erm, ghost, that she was leaving them for.

Another small tear appeared in her eye as she tried to comprehend why she had come and what this meant to her.

' _He's dead, there's proof right here. But he's also alive. I've held his cold hand. Flown in his cold arms. Kissed his cold lips.'_

But in her heart, no matter how much she wanted to forgive him, she knew that things could never be real with them. Even if he no longer had feelings for Sarah, the fact that he had lied about it would be permanently branded on their relationship.

Sam stepped away, no longer wanting to see that name on the stone.

' _It hurts too much.'_

She looked around to see if there were any other Fentons in the graveyard, full knowing that his parents and sister were likely nearby.

And she was right. The stone next to his, while not as ornate, yet still decorated with flowers, read:

_Jasmine "Jazz" Fenton  
Beloved daughter and mother.  
We will always remember your life and dedication.  
"Mom: you are the most powerful woman I have ever known. Your legacy will not be forgotten" – Jack Fenton_

Sam's mouth went wide. Of course Jack was related, but to know that he was the son of Danny's sister? That put a lot of things in perspective, and she began to piece together what her next move needed to be.

She ran out of the cemetery so fast, she didn't even feel the ghostly chill that had come over the air moments before.

* * *

After viewing the photos and catching sight of himself in the computer screen, Danny had left the lab and wandered over to the cemetery. Obviously it had been important enough for the Fentons to put an alert on their computer about it, so maybe that was where his answers lay.

Despite the amount of time he had spent in this world since his resurrection, he had yet to visit his grave, in part due to the weirdness that would come from seeing it, and in part due to just not thinking about it. But now seemed like a good time, and he hoped maybe this could clear his head.

Flying over, he wondered if he'd find anything important. Flowers? Notes? More memories?

What he didn't expect to find was Sam, laying a bouquet of flowers next to the ones that were already there. He held in a breath, hoping she wouldn't notice the slight chill he seemed to always bring to the air.

It wasn't until she turned away to look at the other graves that he decided to approach, staying invisible all the while.

He was examining his own grave, the messages, the flowers, when he heard a gasp and turned to see the girl quickly running from the cemetery.

' _Why?'_ he wondered, and then realized that the grave she had been at was his sister's.

' _She knows. The relationship. Jazz. Jack. ME.'_

From the looks of things, Danny would be doing even more explaining if and when Sam decided she wanted to talk.

He tried to get the girl out of his head for the millionth time that day and went back over to his own grave, turning visible as he did so.

"So, if this is my grave, but they never found my body, what's buried here?"

He had heard stories of people's bodies never being found, so instead mementos would be buried in a box. He had a feeling that was what was under this stone. Still, it was pretty elaborate considering that it was just a box of memories buried beneath.

The flowers that he had seen Sam leaving were a gorgeous violet color, adorned with little bits of yellow and green.

' _Considering how mad she was, she sure seemed to put a lot of thought into the flowers.'_

He looked down at the other flowers next to hers, obviously older, as they were already drooping a bit. These flowers were also violet, but a different shade and variety. Trying to remember the name, he looked closer, only to see a small note attached.

_For Danny. One day, we will learn the truth._

_-Jack and Maddie Fenton_

So his hunches were right and their visit earlier had been for him. Which meant they were still looking, even though they had never had a chance to meet him.

' _And here I am, floating around in your lab…'_

He hadn't had a chance to reveal himself to the Fentons, and honestly, he didn't know when he would. Or why he should. But the fact that they were still remembering him made him feel ashamed for having not done so yet.

' _Then again, they've got the photos, you'd think they'd figure out the ghost on TV is me.'_

He couldn't take it, staring at a grave that didn't even contain his body, but adorned with flowers from all those he loved.

Without even realizing, small tears had begun to form in his eyes. They fell down onto the hard ground, watering the flowers below.

' _Walk away…'_

But he couldn't. His eyes were glued to the words on the headstone as more tears appeared, still trying to comprehend his existence and wondering, for the second time today, why he had to be the one that Clockwork had brought back, and more importantly, why Clockwork had done so little explaining.

He kicked the flowers, wishing that his 'family' didn't care so much. Wishing they had moved on. Wishing they had normal lives.

But it was in kicking the flowers that he noticed something hiding behind one: a small carving, not much bigger than a handprint.

He bent down and let a small ball of ectoplasm form in his hands, creating the perfect flashlight.

There is was, ornately scratched into the bottom of the stone:

S X D forever.

Inside a heart.

* * *

" _Daniel. "_

" _I'm sorry. These memories I'm sending you. They're painful for me to even watch."_

_The figure floated in front of a giant screen, holding his staff up to it and aiming a green beam at the image of the young ghost_

" _I really should have explained more when we first met."_

_He quickly changed into an older version of himself before disappearing into the Ghost Zone._


	16. Chapter 15

Sam woke up in her bed, covered in sweat and unable to remember how she had gotten there.

As she rolled over, she slowly began to recall the conversation between her grandmother and Danny, followed by her visit to Tucker, and then the graveyard.

The graveyard!

Why hadn't she thought to search out Danny before? After all, she knew he was from Amity Park and had to have a plot there. But the more she thought about what she discovered, the more she wished it had all been a dream.

Before she could contemplate it more though, a soft knock came at her door.

"Sammy, it's getting late, and I know you've had a rough weekend, but you need to get up."

Grandma.

"Go away!" Sam growled, turning over to face the wall. The last person she really wanted to see right now was HER.

But Sarah Manson was not one to take no for an answer, and instead opened the door and came in anyway, parking her scooter next to Sam's bed.

"Sam… please… we need to…"

"Talk! I think I heard enough of that yesterday! I really just need to be alone." Sam growled at the wall, trying her hardest to avoid making any contact with her visitor.

"I don't think you even heard the whole story yesterday dear, and even if you did, that was fifty years ago…"

"Fifty years or five, it still matters." Sam pouted.

Sarah was quiet for a bit, contemplating her next move, but not willing to give up just yet.

Finally, "You're right, it does. But you have to admit, this situation isn't normal by any means. After all, when…" she stopped, not willing to say the next part, for she hadn't spoken those words in so long.

Sam noticed the pause and slowly glanced at her grandma, seeing her glasses start to fog up once again.

"…Danny died," she finally said, then added, "well, no one ever expected him to come back…"

She did have to give her grandma some credit – who would ever expect to see the ghost of their former boy friend return, let alone fifty years later?

But that didn't mean she was ok with the whole thing.

"Just go, please," Sam said quietly, still refusing to catch her Grandma's eye.

Knowing she had lost, Sarah slowly backed out of the room, but not without one final say.

"Just know dear, whatever happens, I'm here for you."

* * *

Danny had spent the night in the graveyard. He'd found himself feeling tired for the first time since his return and found himself leaning against his own headstone and letting his mind race.

Danny had been so sure last night that the 'D x S' had meant 'Danny and Sarah'; the scratches seemed old, and he knew Sam had not found his grave until now.

But the more he thought about it, the more he wished he hadn't seen it. Sure, she probably scratched it in the day of the funeral, when she was still in love. And sure, fifty years had passed and she had found a family; he had known that for a while now. However, he still couldn't shake the conversations they had had yesterday.

" _I never forgot you Danny! Never."_

' _And she didn't. She knew me right away, standing in that room, white hair and all.'_

White hair. Green eyes. Cold body. A ghost.

That's what he was: a ghost. And for the first time since his resurrection, it finally hit him that he wasn't truly living; he hadn't been for awhile.

' _What am I even doing here? Trying to save people but making a bigger mess than when I started. My mission was done the second that portal opened; I should have just turned around and gone back.'_

' _If you were supposed to go back, Clockwork wouldn't have shared those memories with you. You wouldn't have an innate sense to save people. And you wouldn't have been able to remove that amulet.'_

Remembering the amulet, he quickly pulled it out of his pocket , holding it up to his face for a closer look.

From afar, it was a typical round, gold charm. But upon closer inspection, Danny noticed some small writing inscribed along the border in a language he couldn't decipher. In the center was a circle, and to his surprise, an emblem that seemed oddly familiar. How so, he could not place, but he knew he had seen it somewhere.

As he held up, it began to glow a faint green. After a moment, Danny noticed this green glow was transferring to his body as well.

Freaking out, he dropped it to the ground. His glow returned to normal. Danny was unsure what to do about this, but knew there was more to this trinket than met the eye.

' _Do I dare keep carrying this thing around? It could be dangerous...'_ he found himself thinking has he looked down at the necklace on the ground, which was no longer glowing.

He knew the one place it could be kept safe: The same place he had been leaving other things. But would she really want to see him, especially now?

' _She might not want to see you, but you NEED to see her.'_

He needed Sam, that he knew. Having spent the night in the graveyard, surrounded by his past, he knew that even more certainly now. Something was pulling at him, forcing him to want her, NEED her.

But did she want him? It was hard to tell.

The way she had acted when she discovered the truth made him believe that she didn't.

But the flowers before him said otherwise.

A double edged sword: that's what he was facing. And no amount of ecto-energy could dull the blade.

* * *

"Sam! I didn't expect to see you again so soon! I'm not sure if we have anything for you today."

Maddie stood at the doorway, looking down at her guest with a hesitant smile on her face.

"It's ok Mrs. Fen- Maddie! I just needed to get out of the house. Mind if I come in, even if I just sweep a bit?"

Sam had finally gotten out of bed, a mission in her sights: now that she knew the connection with Danny and the Fentons, she was even more enthusiastic about "interning" at the lab.

' _Maybe I can catch a glimpse of that computer…'_ she thought as Maddie led her downstairs.

But if she was going to, it wasn't going to be now, for Jack was once again staring intently at the computer screen, a glazed over look upon his face.

"Jack! Jack!" Maddie had to call multiple times before her husband finally looked up to see his wife glaring at him.

"Oh, sorry Mads! I just was trying to figure something out…" he said, his eyes darting between his wife and the computer.

Maddie raised her eyebrows curiously.

"This morning, when I came down, the ecto sensors were going off. Apparently someone, erm, thing, was here last night. There's ecto-DNA all over my computer!"

"But that's impossible dear. We closed the portal before we went to the…" Maddie stopped, not wanting to let too much slip in front of their guest.

' _Where?'_

"I don't know Maddie, maybe we let one slip. Or maybe it was one of those local ghosts? I still can't identify the DNA sample – it keeps coming back positive for me, and you know I'm not a ghost!" Jack seemed annoyed, like he should have solved the problem by now.

' _Local ghost, Jack's imprint… Danny! He must have come here last night…'_

Sam's mind was again reeling with this information; she wanted so badly to get her hands on that computer.

Maddie and Jack were still so wrapped in their own conversations, they didn't even see Sam slip by and wander over to one of the tables, where a new gadget lay.

"Jack, you don't think it's...?" Maddie said in a hushed voice, trying to hide their conversation from their visitor.

"It could be! But I can't know for sure until I do more tests, and our equipment isn't up to speed yet."

The gadget Sam was looking at seemed to be a boomerang, but was made of metal and had glowing sensors on it.

' _Well, they definitely didn't get this in Australia, that's for sure.'_

As she picked it up, it began to glow, emitting a low "whirrrr" sound.

"Sam! What in the world?"

The Fenton's private conversation came to a halt as the couple turned to face the young girl.

But before anyone could do anything, the device began to beep, telling the group that it had discovered something.

"OF COURSE!" Jack got up quickly and ran over to Sam, grabbing the device. "The Boooo-Merang!"

"The what?" Sam asked, still trying to get the hang of all the ghost lingo.

"It's something Jack invented. It picks up ecto-signitures and tells you where the ghosts are. But it's never worked before," Maddie said, as if she was tired of her husband inventing new things that never worked.

"Because there's never been a ghost in the lab since I invented it! Until now!"

' _Wait? So this device, this Booo-Merang, it can find ghosts? Find Danny?'_

She wasn't sure she wanted to find him, let alone allow the Fentons to. But she hadn't seen him since she ran out and was starting to soften up to the idea of more answers.

"If a ghost really visited last night, this will find it! I'm sure of it!"

Before Sam could even attempt to stop him, Jack threw the device up the stairwell, and to everyone's surprise, its jets propelled it up the stairs and out of sight.

"Jack… now what?" Maddie asked, both amused and frustrated with her husband's antics.

"Well… actually, I'm not sure. I know it will find the ghost, but I don't actually think I programmed it to bring it back to us…" Jack's smile quickly faded.

"So, basically, you just threw it, hoping it'd find a ghost, and that ghost would just happily bring it back to us?"

"Well when you put it that way… I think I need fudge…"

Jack lowered his head and began up the stairs, his wife following as they again forgot that they had a visitor.

' _Man, if those two had children, they'd be able to get away with murder …'_

Not that Sam cared, for she finally had the lab to herself. And Jack had left his computer on, completely password free.

Taking one last glance around, she quickly hopped into the chair and clicked the screen to life.

Jack had left his "DNA Identifier" open, although there was no real data to display.

' _If he really wants to identify ghosts, he's going to have to start getting more samples…'_

She hit the tiny horizontal line at the top and found herself on the desktop, loaded with game icons and various folders.

' _Doom. Portal XL. Diner Dash? Really Jack?'_

Reality sunk in as she realized she had no idea what she was looking for, having been so excited to get the chance to poke around that she hadn't thought of what would happen when she finally could.

' _Blueprints. Ghost files, family photos…'_

Sam let out a yawn, already ready to give up her search.

' _Wait…. Family photos! Duh!'_

She smacked her head as she clicked on the icon, and a familiar set of eyes appeared.

Even in black and white, she knew them the second she saw them. Gorgeous eyes that were lit up with a smile on the boy's face as his black hair fell forward. He had his hand around a girl, a couple years older, who was also smiling.

' _Danny and Jazz'_ the caption read.

' _So that's his sister, she looks just like him, eyes and all.'_

After gazing at this black and white eyes a bit longer, she finally hit the 'next' arrow, only to be bombarded with more photos of her ghostly crush in his youth. Her eyes began to tear up.

' _Stop Sam. You knew he had a childhood. Family. Life. You're stronger than this; don't let it get to you.'_

' _But you're not strong: that night at the dance proved it. Dash was barely worth it and yet you still chose to take your life. Again and again you've thought about it, and again and again he's saved you...'_

And he always would. As she peered at the photos, she began to remember all the things they had done together and the bond they had begun to form. No amount of memories or time gaps could change the fact that he had saved her in more ways than one.

' _Danny. You've always been so strong. Even as memories came back and things got unearthed, you always kept that smile on your face. And what did I do? I ran. I didn't even give you a chance to explain.'_

Sam was crying now as she stared at an old family photo of the Fentons: Danny and Jazz both under the age of ten holding their parents' hands at the park.

' _Danny. I'm sorry…'_

She hit the 'next' key, ready for whatever was to come. But not fully ready for what she saw.

There he was. Sitting in the sandbox, again at a young age. But he wasn't alone this time. No, he had a companion.

' _Grandma.'_

* * *

Danny found himself outside the local burger joint, a small rumble coming from his stomach. He had been feeling it all day, but couldn't quite place what it meant until he managed to find where his senses told him he needed to be.

' _That's not right though. Ghosts don't get hungry. Ghosts don't crave hamburgers. Ghosts don't EAT!'_

But his stomach insisted otherwise as the smell of grease wafted from a nearby vent.

"Hmmmm burgers…"

He couldn't take it anymore; he had to at least go inside and let his cravings have their feast.

' _Might not be able to eat it, but doesn't mean you can't SMELL it!'_

Turning invisible, Danny flew through the wall and into the restaurant, finding his senses completely engulfed with the smell of French fries and burgers.

' _Man, what I wouldn't give for just a bite of one of those,'_ he thought as a waitress walked through him with a tray of food.

And he was about to grab one off a nearby tray when a sudden crash stopped him. Turning around, he saw that one of the store windows was completely shattered, and several people staring in awe.

' _What the…?'_

That was all he could think before feeling something hit in the head and falling to the ground.


	17. Chapter 16

"Danny! Danny! Danny, wake up!"

The green-eyed ghost opened his eyes to warm hands on his shoulders and the sound of a voice.

' _Her voice!'_

"Sam!?" he breathed, finally starting to come to.

"Oh thank god!" Sam sighed, leaning back to take a breath herself.

"What? What's going on?"

He sat up and looked around, coming to realize that he had no idea where they were.

"Well, you got hit in the head with a boomerang, for one, and now we're in the bathroom at Nasty Burger." Sam said, with a bit of sarcasm.

But Danny's sense for sarcasm was off as he rubbed his head where the boomerang had hit.

"Boomerang?"

"Long story…" Sam began. Upon seeing his eye brows raised, she elaborated.

"The Fentons have another stupid invention… I think Jack called it the Booo-merang? Anyway, Jack was freaking out because you left DNA all over their lab last night – way to go – and so he decided to have it track you down."

Memories of the previous evening slowly came back as Danny remembered having visited the lab. What he really remembered were the photos he discovered, but now that he put his mind to it, he did recall touching some weird device.

"It was a tracker?"

He made a mental note to stop touching the Fentons' stuff.

"Apparently. It keyed into your signature and didn't let up until it found you," Sam continued.

Danny was still trying to piece things together. To his knowledge, he had never left a DNA imprint in the lab before, and he had been there loads of times.

His eyes were flickering blue, he was craving burgers, and now he was leaving DNA all over the lab. Something was malfunctioning somewhere and he was starting to get curious.

"How did… How did you find me?" he managed to choke out between confusing thoughts.

Sam blushed, not wanting to reveal the things she had seen on the Fenton's computer and the way they had made her feel.

"Well… I may have been poking around the lab… and found Jack's program that tells the user where the booo-merang went…" She quickly looked away, hoping her face wasn't too red.

All of his questions about his condition disappeared as he heard what she said.

"So I guess that means you forgive me?"

She quickly turned back around.

"Hold on Danny Fenton! That means no such thing!"

' _Ok, maybe it does….'_ she thought.

While he had been ready to explain his side and try to win her back, Danny found himself, yet again, distracted by what she had just said.

' _Has she ever used your last name? Did she even know it?'_

"Did you say Fenton?"

* * *

Although he already knew she had visited the graveyard, he tried his best not to reveal that knowledge as they sat in the bathroom stall and Sam explained the last 48 hours.

"After everything that happened at my house, you know, with my… grandma…" she managed to choke out, still a bit unsure about how she felt, "I couldn't go back. Not right away. I couldn't face the truth. Not about her, not about you."

Sam was finally coming to recognize the emotions she had felt the past two days and how stupid she was to think that she couldn't talk to her grandmother about any of it.

"I freaked out. Made some stupid decisions, and ended up at Tucker's."

She was careful to avoid the part where she had considered the school roof again.

"A few hours of video games and I realized there was really only one place for answers: the graveyard"

The whole time she was explaining the story, she had slowly begun to move closer to Danny, coming to find herself close enough to lean in, and it was really hard for her to resist just that.

Danny listened in silence, knowing that this was a story Sam needed to tell without interruption.

"I found your plot. And it helped. A lot." She finished with a small sigh, finally turning to look him the eyes.

Danny didn't know what to say. Here they were, sitting on the bathroom floor of a greasy burger restaurant, with the girl next to him spilling her guts.

After what seemed like decades, he finally managed to speak.

"Sam, I'm so, so sorry."

She leaned over and wrapped her warm arms around his cold body. The two of them embraced in a warming hug, while small reflections of blue shown in the mirror behind her.

* * *

They stayed locked in their embrace for at least five more minutes, Danny's cold body becoming warmer against Sam's.

' _So this is what heaven feels like…'_

Danny slowly faced her, their eyes locking briefly before Danny opened his mouth to speak.

"Sam, do I feel warm to you?" he asked.

Taken aback by his question, Sam pulled away slightly.

"Well of course, we have been holding each other for a while now," she said, trying to hide her worry.

Danny got up, shocking her a bit, and continued.

"True, but no amount of human contact can make me as warm as I feel. And then there's the flickering, and the eyes… I just wish Clockwork would have told me more…"

"Clockwork?" Sam asked, trying to hide that she recognized the name from a few days ago.

Danny had been so wrapped up in his relationship with Sam that he had forgotten that he hadn't actually told her about Clockwork.

"The ghost who resurrected me, the one who sent me here. His name is Clockwork but many call him 'The Master of Time' because he controls the past, present, and future, and can predict what may or may not happen."

"Sounds kinda fishy to me," Sam said disdainfully, "If he can control so much, why couldn't he tell you more about what might happen to you?"

While he had hoped to have this conversation at her home, somehow they had found themselves having it on the floor of a greasy bathroom. But location aside, Danny needed to know where Sam stood.

"I get the feeling he didn't know either. And while I wish he had told me more about my past, looking back at the day I was resurrected, I feel like he was speculating a lot himself. Like he didn't really know what to expect going forward. "

It had taken a lot of soul searching for Danny to reach this conclusion, and in all honestly he felt like until this point, he had never been able to fully grasp Clockwork's powers.

' _You sure are one strange ghost, Clockwork. I wish you had told me more, explained more, or even just filled me in on your powers. It would make this all so much easier'_

Danny needed to get the time ghost out of his head and bring the story back to him and Sam. After all, there were a lot of things he had been dying to say since her disappearance.

"Sam, tell me the truth, are you worried about me, about my powers?" Danny said, a bit forcefully.

She turned back around, trying to hide the worry in her eyes.

"Danny…I…"

Before she could continue the sound of knocking flooded the room.

"Hey! What's going on in there! I need to go!"

' _Shoot. We're in a bathroom!'_

Reluctantly, Danny looked at her, implying that this conversation wasn't over, and they slowly walked to the door and clicked it unlocked. But instead of ushering her to walk out with him, he strode back over, picked her up and silently flew them both through the wall, out into the open air.

CRASH!

The door flew open, and an angry Dash Baxter looked around, finding no one on the other side.

"What idiot locked this thing after using it?" he said out loud.

* * *

Together they flew above the city, high enough to not need Danny's invisibility.

Although still overcoming her initial frustration with Danny and trying to make sense of their interrupted conversation, Sam couldn't say no to flying.

' _So magical. So breathtaking. So free…'_

In his arms all the frustrations of the past few days seemed to melt away, leaving Sam with a calm sense of safety.

' _The last two days have been such a test. How am I even supposed to choose between the pain he caused and the love he shows?'_

' _You can't. That's why this is so hard. That's why you should have just walked away. That's why you should have died that night.'_

Somehow that first night on the school gym had resurfaced again, as it seemed to do a lot lately. Yes, she was grateful Danny had stopped her, but was it really worth all the heartache that had come since?

' _If he hadn't come, saved me, I could be in a better place right now, with no worries about family drama and heartbreak. Heck, maybe I'd even be a ghost myself!'_

The thought had occurred to her a couple times that dying could lead to becoming a ghost, just like Danny, and then all their problems would be solved. No issues of aging, saving, or human/ghost relationship drama. Just simple ghost love.

' _But really, do you think Clockwork would bring someone back who intentionally wanted to die?'_

That was the thought that stopped her every time.

' _Especially with no one here looking for me; after all, Mom and Dad are barely around, and grandma would never forgive me for what I wanted to do…'_

' _At least Danny had a family who cared. Parents. Girlfriend. Sister and now nephew. They never stopped looking, caring, trying.'_

* * *

While Sam was lost in thought, Danny kept quiet, enjoying the weight of her warm body as he flew the familiar path towards Sam's home, letting the issues he had brought up slip away with the wind.

"Danny, tell me about Jazz…"

Sam's voice cutting through the peaceful quiet took Danny by surprise.

"Sam, how did you…?" He began, although he fully knew the answer.

"You don't think I didn't see her plot next to yours last night?" she asked, blushing.

"Well, I guessed maybe, but I didn't think it mattered. Why the sudden interest?"

He continued to hold her as they flew, but the flight was becoming a bit more difficult as he tried to retrieve more memories.

"I know she was your sister, and Jack's mom. I just thought maybe there was a connection between her and why Jack is so interested in you..." Sam trailed off, starting to think this was a bad idea.

If Danny thought so too, he tried not to show it as he provided the answers he had.

"Yes. Jazz was my sister. Older by two years. Always the brainiac, destined for Harvard Med."

It was happening again: memories Danny didn't even know he had were coming back to him like they had yesterday.

"Do you know if she ever went?" Sam asked curiously.

This was a toughone for Danny, having died before he was able to see it happen.

"She was at the community college when I graduated," he gulped, trying to hold back ghostly tears. "Taking pre-bio classes because she wanted to be at home to watch after me. She had always watched out for me, even when I was a baby. Keeping me safe and making sure nothing harmed me."

Their flight was getting stiffer, and Sam could tell it would be best if Danny just set her down and they talked on solid ground, but he didn't seem to want to stop and she didn't want to interrupt him.

"She went to community college so she could see me through high school, but doing so deferred her from Harvard by a couple years. I don't know if she ever transferred over…"

Sam felt a drop of wet on her head and looked up to see small tears falling from Danny's blue eyes as he told his story.

"Danny, I'm… so… Wait! Tears!?"

"Hmmm? Danny said, suddenly taken aback by her change in expression.

Before they could say anymore, Danny found himself falling back to the ground, his grip on Sam loosened as they both fell to the world below.

* * *

_Clockwork banged his staff against his screen, frustration radiating through it in the form of electricity, causing the screen to turn to static._

" _Daniel! What is happening to you!? What have I done? Why am I letting you feel these emotions? These HUMAN emotions? Is one vision of the future really worth it!?"_

_Turning and floating away from his screen, the ghost didn't get the chance to see the young ghost fall to the world below._


	18. Chapter 17

"Sammy! Sammy!"

She opened her eyes to see the fogged up glasses of her grandmother staring back at her.

"Oh thank god!" Sarah said with a small yell as she saw Sam finally come to.

"Grandma? How? Where?" was all Sam could say as she sat up in her bed.

"I found you and…" She paused, still finding it hard to say the name.

"Danny!" Sam exclaimed, suddenly remembering what they had been doing before all of this.

"Yea… you landed on the balcony, it sounded pretty bad."

The worry in Sarah's words showed, although Sam knew she was doing her best to stay calm.

"But how?" Sam asked as the puzzle seemed to get even more confusing.

She and Danny had made up – sort of – and gone for a flight. There had been some discussion of Danny's family and then all Sam remembered was losing balance.

"He fell. Danny fell! But how did he fall!?" Sam as becoming more anxious now, trying to figure out exactly what had happened to them earlier.

Finally fully aware, Sam had realized that Danny was nowhere to be seen in her room.

"Danny… Danny!? Where is he?"

"Honey, please, calm down. I'll explain," Sarah replied shakily.

* * *

_For the past few days Sarah had felt shattered, the world that she knew slowly falling apart around her. She refused to let her family see, especially Sam, who was going through far worse, but nonetheless she could barely hold it together._

_Danny, her Danny, was back, sort of. He was a ghost, a spirit, a memory._

_Sam, her Sam, was in love, sort of. With a ghost, a spirit, a memory._

' _How can it be? I never thought I would see him again! Alive or dead, it's not possible.'_

_But it was. He had floated right in front of her, sat down and explained everything._

' _And Sam! Oh Sam! How could you let this happen? Of all the people…'_

_She was sitting in the living room, flipping through old yearbooks she had managed to unearth from the attic (thank god for elevators!), and at lastfound what she was looking for._

_The couple smiling back at her had so much light in their eyes, so much hope._

_He was handsome as ever in his suit and failed attempt to comb his messy black hair._

_She was beautiful, in her floor length gown, hair tied back with matching flowers._

_They were hand-in-hand, entering the gym for senior prom._

_Her hand touched the photo as a small tear fell._

" _If only…"_

_But she needed to stop living in the past. Sarah quickly shut the book, throwing it across the room._

" _Sarah Manson. You are so much better than this. Pull yourself together!"_

_Before she could think or do anything else a huge crash came from upstairs._

" _What the?"_

_Moving as fast as a scooter and escalator could take her, she quickly headed to where she believed the crash to be, near Sam's room. Opening the door, she peered in, seeing nothing._

" _Maybe I'm losing my mind…"_

_She was about to turn away when she heard a THUMP and saw movement from outside Sam's window._

" _The balcony! Of course!"_

_She raced to the balcony doors, opening them wide to find her granddaughter laying face down upon the balcony floor._

" _But how?"_

_Sarah's eyes got big as the revelation that Sam MUST have fallen from the sky set in._

' _Falling from the sky only means one thing.'_

_She swerved, hoping to find the other half to this puzzle somewhere nearby, and to her luck, he was only a few feet to the right of her._

_She let out a large gasp as she took in the sight of what she had expected to be the ghostly form of her former boyfriend._

* * *

"So you got lucky enough to hear us fall onto the balcony?" Sam asked, still curious about where Danny had ended up.

"Yes," was all that came out of Sarah's mouth.

"And you managed to get me inside?" Sam continued

"Yes."

Sarah was avoiding the question she really didn't want to answer, about the thing she really didn't want Sam to see.

"So how long was I out?"

"You woke for a brief bit when I tried to move you, but as soon as you hit the bed you were out. Maybe two hours?"

"And I'm ok?" Sam added as she rubbed what she believed to be the start of a bruise on her elbow.

"No major damage, just a few bruises."

Sam smiled at this, happy to know her body could handle falling a few yards from the sky onto a hard surface.

But her smile faded when she remembered why she had fallen.

"Danny! Grandma, where's Danny!?" She sat up in bed, remembering again why she had wanted so many answers.

And that was the one answer Sarah didn't want to give.

' _Just breathe. Explain. It will be all right…'_

She closed her eyes, let out a sigh and began.

"He's in the room next door. I figured he'd want a bed to lay down in, but Sam, you need to know…

Before she could continue, Sam was out of bed and rushing to the adjacent room, Sarah doing all she could to follow.

But a gasp even larger than hers earlier came before she had a chance to catch up.

* * *

Danny stirred at the sound of a door opening, opening his eyes to see Sam standing directly over him, starring back.

"Sam? Sam? Are you ok? You look like you've seen a…"

' _Don't say ghost, Fenton'_ he found himself thinking. She backed away, taken aback for a second before finally responding.

"Danny?"

"Yea Sam, it's me, who else?" He sat up, running his hand through his hair the way he often did.

Sam still looked shocked, as if she was surprised he was alive.

' _Or whatever it is when ghosts wake up.'_

"It's just, you're not… you," she said slowly as a second figure entered the room.

"Yes he is," Sarah said, putting her hand in Sam's. "This is definitely Danny."

Danny was taken aback, unaware of what the two women in front of him even meant. He quickly looked away from them both and down at his hands.

The same hands that had just brushed his hair, which how contained a few lose strands. Black strands.

"EEEEEEEE!" He pushed back against the headboard, hands held out as if holding a scorpion.

"What the!?"

Looking around he noticed a mirror above the dresser, quickly getting out of bed to take a closer look at what he was afraid to see.

Staring back at him was his face, but it wasn't the face he was used to.

This face had blue eyes and black hair. The same blue eyes and black hair he had had fifty years ago.


	19. Chapter 18

Danny blinked, thinking maybe this was all some sick dream.

' _This isn't you. Not anymore. But somehow…'_

He tried to piece things together from the last few days. True he had been feeling hungry, tired, even more emotional than he should have, but reverting back? Was that even possible?

' _One who lives on both realms...'_

The dragon girl's message came back to him, and he found himself regretting the times he had wanted to do more research and hadn't actually done it.

' _Could this be what she meant? Am I somehow both a ghost AND a human?'_

The idea was too much for Danny to bear, as was looking in the mirror too much longer. Taking a few steps back, he collided with the bed.

Or at least he should have; instead he found himself on the floor, having phased right through the clearly solid bed.

It took him landing on the ground with a small thud to get Sam's attention once again.

"Danny!" She ran to him, dropping to the ground .

"Are you ok?"

' _Question of the hour, Sam.'_

Danny rubbed his head, trying to make sense of what was happening.

' _Clearly I LOOK human, but I just fell THROUGH the bed…'_

He turned to Sam, his blue eyes looking directly into hers.

"Sam, I… I… I'm not sure. Something is happening and I can't control it."

He could see the confusion in her face, and quickly looked away, not wanting her to see the tears that were forming in his eyes.

* * *

Sam sat on the ground, hand on Danny's shoulder, wishing she had a way to help.

' _Somehow, I feel like this is my fault. Like maybe I'm the one that did this.'_

It was a thought that had occurred to her as she watched Danny examine himself in the mirror minutes before. Could it really be something she had caused?

' _I let him fall in love, and somehow that must have triggered something in him. Something that's been buried until now...'_

She softened her grip on his shoulder, wishing he'd turn around and look at her. Even if he was crying, she wanted to see his face.

"Danny, I… I…"

Danny turned around, quickly wiping his eyes so that he could look into hers.

As he did, she watched in astonishment as the brilliant blue slowly faded back the neon green she was used to.

Her jaw dropped and she found herself on her feet, and this time she was the one to turn away.

"I need to go."

' _I can't do this. I'm not strong enough.'_

She moved to leave, but was stopped by a cold hand on her wrist.

"Sam, please, let's figure this out together."

His voice brought her back. The same voice that had saved her on that rooftop.

He had saved her then, and now she needed to save him.

Sitting back down she looked long and hard into Danny's now green eyes, wishing there was an answer to the mystery in front of her, yet afraid that she'd freak out again if his eyes turned blue.

Something about the black hair and blue eyes just bothered Sam. She had known, of course, that he had once lived life as a human and with further research she had learned that most ghosts never took on the appearance of their original selves, often coming back with different eye colors, hair colors, clothes etc. But the Danny she had come to know – and love - was the one with white hair and green eyes. A ghost.

After brief contemplation, she was able to break the silence with the only response she could muster.

"Did Clockwork explain this to you? Did he tell you this would happen? That you'd returnand take on the form of your original self? Sam asked, only to remember the conversation they had started earlier

Danny's look turned to one of confusion as Sam answered her own question.

"No, he didn't! It was all about 'Opening the portal' and 'becoming Amity's hero', he couldn't even mention he side effects of resurrection? Flickering and phasing. The changing eyes, the warmth. I swear, if I ever meet that ghost I'm going to…I'm going to….Grrrrr!"

Sam couldn't control her emotions at this point, and while she wasn't sure what she could actually do to Clockwork, she knew that there was something very suspicious about him that she didn't like.

Danny stopped her, his blue eyes becoming intense as he interrupted.

"Hold on Sam. I'm mad at him too, in fact, it's hard not to be. But remember what I said earlier about Clockwork not knowing himself? I'm sure that even if he saw this coming he didn't think it would actually happen. And did I not emphasize the whole 'first ghost to be resurrected' thing? Even Clockwork may not know the repercussions of his decision."

Danny was more than mad though, he was furious. If someone as powerful as the Master of Time couldn't predict this, they why had he even bothered to meddle in the first place? Why had he brought Danny back?

"I just don't get it though! You're obviously becoming more human, so he had to have seen this coming! Why couldn't he just TELL YOU!"

It was Sarah who interrupted this time.

"Sammy, please stop. Think about how Danny must be feeling right now. What he's going through. Yes, I agree it's a bit shady to bring someone back and not tell them the whole story, but I also agree that maybe his powers were limited. Maybe he couldn't see this coming. We all have restrictions after all." At this she motioned to her wheel chair and looked her granddaughter sternly in the eyes, implying that the conversation was done.

* * *

They sat in silence for a bit longer, all trying to figure out what exactly could be happening.

"There is one thing…" Danny said after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

Both women turned to look at Danny, whose eyes had again turned blue.

"There was this prophecy, told to me by a ghost I saved recently. When I saved her, she told me about the 'one who lives on two realms' and seemed to think I must be him. I didn't believe her at first, and thought maybe it was just because I had chosen to live out here instead of in there. But now… maybe there's something more to those words."

The ladies' expressions went blank, as they both tryed to comprehend what Danny had just said. Danny began to fidget with his back pocket.

"I found this," he said, pulling out the ghostly green amulet.

Both of his companions looked down at hands in awe, waiting for an explanation.

"The ghost, when I first met her, was a dragon, more powerful than the other ghosts I've fought so far. I managed to remove this from her neck and she transformed back into a human. That's when she told me the story. The one about how I must be of both realms, as only I could remove it from her. "

"And you've just been carrying it around since?" Sam asked.

"Well, it's not like we've had much chance to talk…" Danny answered under his breath.

"Whose fault is that?" Sam snapped.

"ENOUGH!" Sarah interrupted yet again. "Danny, please continue the story."

"I think that's it Sarah. I don't know much else about this prophecy. But it has got me thinking: maybe, just maybe it was my destiny to come back. Maybe that's why Clockwork resurrected me. Maybe I was supposed to help that ghost, find this amulet. Maybe I am supposed to revert back to human, for good."

Danny was standing at this point, looking back and forth between the other two, his hands out in frustration, grasping the amulet's chain tightly.

"But why? Why you? Why now? There must be a REASON," Sam chimed in.

"I think we just had this talk was the best answer Danny had at this point, although he made a mental reminder to ask about this if he ever saw the time-master again.

"There has got to be someone with more answers than this! Someone who knows something," Sarah concluded, a bit of hopelessness in her voice.

They all thought for a second. Finally, Sam spoke, a bit of worry in her voice.

"I think I know who we can ask, but neither of you is going to like my answer."


	20. Chapter 19

"Let me get this straight. You've been working with the Fentons for a while now in their lab, as an intern?"

The group was still in the same room, having just listened to Sam confess about her 'internship' with the Fentons.

"Well, like I said, it's been more like cleaning up Jack's messes," Sam concluded.

"Either way, Sam, if you needed answers, there were better ways to get them." Danny had a hurt look in his now green eyes.

' _Says the ghost who has been doing the same thing,'_ Danny found himself thinking.

"It's not like you were being much help…" Sam said under her breath.

"Again!" Sarah chimed in before a lover's quarrel could ensue.

Both teens looked at her in frustration before deciding she was probably right.

"I understand you needed answers Sammy, but I wish you had tried a different way about getting them." Her grandma continued, "Or at least told me. Ever since you started hanging out with Danny you've been so secretive."

"Grandma, since when are you so against the Fentons? You do remember that Danny is one of them?" Sam asked, somewhat confused.

"Well of course, but he's different. I know him. I never even met Jack and Maddie…"

' _Wait, what? She was so close to my parents, to Jazz. What happened to make her change?'_

This statement took Danny by surprise, as he had assumed that Sarah had kept her connections to his family after his death.

"You didn't?"

Sarah turned to Danny, a pained look in her eyes.

"Danny it's a long story…"

"It was after your funeral. Your parents were devastated, you had such a bright future ahead of you, and then you disappeared. I, of course, was heartbroken and didn't even want to go off to college. I spent that whole summer in the house, barely eating. Finally, my parents realized something was up and forced me out. "

Sam and Danny both sat in awe as Sarah told a story she hadn't shared in years.

"But as bad as I was Danny, Jazz was worse. Your sister adored you, and always wanted to protect you. But she couldn't this time, and it ate her up. She wouldn't leave her room for the longest time, and when she finally did, she spent hours upon hours at the library trying to find answers. When the library couldn't help, she ended up skipping town to study parapsychology in California."

"Parapsychology?" Danny asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"The study of ghosts and paranormal activity," Sarah said dryly. "Back then there were only two programs that offered it, and no one took it seriously. Everyone tried to stop her, saying it was a waste of her time and money, that she was too smart to give up being a doctor, but she wouldn't listen. You know how independent Jazz was."

With the recent surge in memories, Danny could recall several things about his older sister, and her independence was definitely one of them.

"But she ended up back here, and she started the research that led to the portal, right?" Sam asked, trying to connect the dots to a family she'd been coming to know.

"Yes, she and her new husband ended up back here after they graduated, moving into the old house and starting their research. But that was after I was already gone, so I don't know the full story," Sarah confessed.

' _Gone? Sarah left town too? Why hasn't she mentioned that before?'_

"Sarah, You never told me you left town? You always loved it here!" Danny exclaimed in awe as the conversation started to change directions.

"Wait, Grandma? Is that what Dad used to always talk about when he said he'd visit you and Grandpa during summers?" Sam began, recalling stories of rain forests and African safaris.

Sarah turned to Danny. "Danny, as hard as it may be to believe, I needed to get away from here for awhile. Even at community college I was still too close to all the painful memories your disappearance brought."

Sarah looked away at this, small tears forming in her eyes .

When she next looked up, it was to face Sam. "Promise me Sam, that no matter what happens you will never run from your past like I did. It's my biggest regret in life that I left instead of trying to piece together things here. "

Sam moved closer to her grandma, putting her hand on her shoulder and giving her a squeeze.

"Grandma, I promise," she whispered.

There was silence for a moment before Danny broke in.

"It doesn't make sense to me. I know I just disappeared and my sister shut you out, but you never would have left before."

"That was before. When I went to school I met Tom, and he really helped me see that staying here was doing more harm than good. That we could do more good elsewhere. So we joined the Peace Corps, traveling the world and saving lives. It felt so great, for a while."

* * *

_Sarah rolled over in her hammock and looked out the window of their tiny shack. Another day in Peru was about to begin._

_She and Tom had been stationed here for the past six months, helping the locals of their village work on revitalizing after a major hurricane._

_She had loved it at first, the same way she had all of their other missions. But the novelty was starting to wear thin, as thoughts of home and family weighed heavily on her shoulders._

_Getting up to prepare for the day, she found herself brushing her long black hair in the mirror and thinking more and more about home._

' _Can I really keep doing this? Running from my past? Shutting out my family the way my parents did to me?'_

_She looked over at Tom as he rolled over and stood up from his hammock, his scraggly beard a mess this morning. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at her and saw the frown on her face._

" _Sarah, what is it this time?" he yawned, as he came closer._

" _Tom, don't start with me. I'm not in much of a mood today."_

" _It's just, honey, you've been distant. I thought doing all this was supposed to help."_

" _And it did… for a while. But lately I've been missing home. My family. My son," she confessed, raising her hands to emphasize._

" _Sarah, we talked about this when we decided to have him. Warren doesn't need to be globe-hopping with us. He's safer back in America at school, and when our mission is up, we'll go back and be a family."_

" _Which mission, Tom? This mission?" She waved her hands, emphasizing the area they were in, "Or the global one? Because every time one ends you sign us up for another!"_

" _Sarah, baby, you know how much I love doing good, helping people, traveling. It's been my dream since I was a kid!"_

" _And then you met me, a poor depressed loner and figured it'd be a good excuse!?"_

_Her blood was boiling now, as all the emotions she had been keeping inside as of late finally came to the surface._

_Now Tom was frowning too."Remember how long we dated before you would even TELL ME why you were so guarded? Not once during that time did I ever think of you as an excuse to get away from town."_

_She had to admit he was right on that one, for during those first few months he had stood by and let her hide the truth without question._

_Bringing her voice back to a normal level she began again. "It's just been on my mind a lot, how much I HATED it when my parents went away on business. We were never close, and now I'm doing the same thing to my own son. What kind of example is that?"_

" _Sarah, please, just listen to me. Going back there, to Amity Park, isn't going to help you. All your friends shut you out after…"_

" _Don't say it, I can't think about that right now." She quickly turned as the memories began to flood back._

" _And that is exactly why you can't go back there!" Tom almost yelled in frustration._

" _Who are you to say what I can and cannot do? We're not even married!"_

_Despite everything, including their son, Sarah and Tom had never taken the time to have an actual marriage ceremony. And the more she thought about it, Sarah was glad they hadn't._

' _Who are you and what have you done with the man I love?'_

_They had been in love when they made the decision to take off and travel, or so she had thought. But now, twenty-five years later, the love was wearing as thin as her patience._

" _I just can't do this anymore. I need to be somewhere stable. With running water and air conditioning. With Warren."_

_At this point Sarah had made up her mind and knew what she needed to do. Grabbing her suitcase and throwing a few things back into it, she stomped out the door, leaving Tom standing there, staring at the doorway._

" _We can't just leave! We have a job to do here!"_

" _Who said anything about we?" she called as she stomped off. "I'm going alone. I'll send for the rest of my things soon."_

_With that she ventured off to the street, determined to make things right._

* * *

"It was after that that I moved back to Amity, moved in with Warren. He was so happy to see me, but so distant for the longest time. After all, he had grown up with barely a family, and now here I was living upstairs."

The strain in Sarah's voice became worse with each word.

"So that's why I never met Grandpa." Sam said, a bit of shock in her voice.

"He was a great man Sammy, don't let me tell you otherwise. But in the end, I needed to be here."

"Grandma, I… I knew Grandpa left, but you never told me all this… I wish I had known," Sam said, squeezing her grandma's shoulder.

" I didn't want to bother you with the pains of my past," Sarah said, laughing at herself for the irony they now faced.

"But that doesn't make sense," Danny interrupted. "You could have gotten in touch with Jazz when you returned, or my parents."

"I wanted to Danny, but they were gone. Your parents had died long before, and Jazz kept to her lab 24/7. No one ever saw her or her husband except when he took little Jack to school."

Sarah looked at Danny again, sincere remorse in her expression.

"Despite my return and the ease I finally felt about being back in town, I could never bring myself to approach Jazz. We had both changed so much and both gone our separate ways. I didn't need the burden of her and her research bringing me back down again. So I stayed away, never even explaining to Warren the true reason I left in the first place."

"And then one morning I woke up, turned on the news, and found out about her death. Apparently the amount of chemicals and radiation from all her research had gotten the best of her and she died younger than she should have. If I had known she was in the hospital, I would have visited, tried to fix the past. But it was too late."

"It was never too late Sarah. You should have tried to reach her the second you got back, or even before that. You said you never stopped caring, loving, but it sounds like all you did was run. You don't run from the ones you love. You help them."

Danny didn't know where this anger was coming from – he never expected to find himself mad at her. But something about this whole story just seemed off for Sarah.

' _She leaves town, completely vanishes for a while, and then returns without even trying to reconnect? How could she?'_

Almost as if knowing what Danny was thinking, Sarah let out a sigh.

"Danny, I know you are angry, and you have a right to be. It wasn't like me to just run from my family and friends like that. But you have to understand the circumstances. You were gone, Jazz was a mess, my parents didn't care. Tom did. He took me in and helped me, and even though we separated, I don't regret leaving town when I did. I needed to get away. Clear my head. And I did, and it helped."

Danny could tell Sarah was done with her story and was going to hold to it. Another thing from the past that he was remembering: her stubbornness.

* * *

Sam had been sitting on the sidelines for most of this story, trying to comprehend it all, and was still not sure if she understood. But there was one thing she did understand, and that was her Grandma's need to escape. After all, she held felt the exact same way recently, although the methods she had taken to escape were much worse.

_But escape is escape, and sometimes we all just need to leave the world we know.'_

"Grandma, don't listen to Danny. You did what you needed to do. You escaped, found a new home for a while, cleared your head…. But in the end you came back, and that's what matters."

Sam leaned over and squeezed her grandmother's hand, looking her straight in the eyes as a sign of support.

"Thank you sweetie, I knew I could count on you to understand," Sarah replied quietly.

' _What would we do without each other?'_

Finally breaking away, Sam pulled back a bit.

"But we do still need to talk to the Fentons. They have the answers we need to figure out what's happening to Danny. Why he's here and why he's changing."

Sarah sighed and turned to the boy next to her, his green eyes shining below a mop of black hair.

He looked back, unable to come up with anything more to say in regards to her story, and nodded.

"Well, I guess it's time I met my nephew."


	21. Chapter 20

"Sam?"

Maddie answered the door to see Sam and her grandmother on the other side. She had not been expecting to see their intern again so soon.

"We don't really have anything for you to do today…" she said awkwardly, looking between the two ladies. "But it doesn't seem like you came to work?"

Seeing the confused look on Maddie's face, Sam quickly stepped forward.

"Sorry for coming so unexpected Mrs. Fenton, but we need your help."

"We?" Maddie asked, looking at Sarah.

"Oh, yea, sorry, this is my grandma, Sarah," Sam added, remembering that they hadn't met before.

A look of relief swept over Maddie's face as she gave a soft smile.

"Oh, of course! I should have known. She has your eyes! Come in, come in!" She gestured as the two women followed her in, not noticing the soft breeze that trailed behind.

* * *

_When they had finally decided to visit the Fentons, Danny knew it wasn't the best idea to just show up on their doorstep. They had been searching for him for years, and he didn't want to shock anyone. But given that he was currently in a state of flux (could he even call it that?), he wasn't sure what else to do._

" _Danny, there has got to be a way for you to revert back!" Sam exclaimed, finding it hard to believe she was even saying those words._

" _I'm trying Sam, believe me, but so far I've got nothing." He sighed, frustrated with himself and his stupid black hair._

" _Do any of your ghost abilities work?" Sarah asked, also finding her words unbelievable._

_Danny turned to her and concentrated hard, trying to make his hands glow green with energy. Nothing._

_He tried float up off the floor. Nothing._

_He tried to phase through his bed. Nothing._

_He tried to go invisible. BINGO! It worked; Sam and Sarah both began looking around the room for him._

" _Danny!?"_

_He concentrated again and found himself switching back to normal._

" _Well, at least one ability works…" Sam said, "And it's the one we need most."_

" _Yea, but it hurt my head to do it," Danny added with a bit of frustration in his voice._

" _Well, I don't want you to hurt yourself, but do you think you can stay invisible long enough for us to talk to the Fentons and clear the air?"_

" _Or I could just wait somewhere and come in later…" Danny mumbled, not wanting to harm himself more._

" _I'm pretty sure you're going to want to hear what they have to say…" Sam said, although she knew it wasn't the safest idea._

_They all looked at each other, knowing that was really the only decent solution._

_Danny finally nodded as the group turned to leave the room. It wasn't until after both ladies had left that Danny turned around and grabbed the forgotten amulet off the floor._

" _You may be of some use to me yet," he said as he pocketed it once again._

* * *

"So what brings you here today?" Maddie asked, setting a tray of warm cookies on the table in front of them.

Maddie had retrieved Jack, and they were both sitting in chairs across from Sam and her grandmother on the couch. Sam looked hesitantly at the cookies, remembering the mess she had seen in the basement.

Noticing her hesitation, Jack chimed in, "Oh, don't worry! Maddie makes the best cookies, and not a trace of ectoplasm!" With that he grabbed five for himself.

Sarah smiled and took one herself before beginning the conversation.

"Well, I'm not sure if you saw the TV a few weeks back, but I'm sure by now you know that ghosts are starting to attack the city. It seems that Sam has been getting a bit of attention from them," Sarah said, not missing a beat.

Maddie looked at Jack, who raised an eyebrow, slowing down his chewing.

"Sam, if anything you've been doing with us is putting you in any real danger, we might have to end your time here," Maddie said simply.

' _Not what I was hoping for,'_ Sam thought, trying to come up with a good excuse to continue the conversation.

' _I was having ghost problems long before I met you guys.'_

"That has nothing to do with it. I promise it has been nothing but fun helping you! It's just that all this information I've found out while working here has me wondering why they're coming back now."

' _Good save!'_

Jack smiled, actually knowing the answer to something this time.

"Well Sammy, we don't doubt that the opening of our portal has to do with most of it. After all, if you had a chance to explore a new world, wouldn't you?"

"Yes but…" Sam began.

But Jack kept on talking, so engrossed in the topic, he didn't realize how much information he could be giving up.

"But we're pretty sure that's not the only reason they're coming through. You see, we think someone is sending them to follow a trail, after someone or something specific. Trying to get that something to…"

Before he could finish, Maddie had stomped on his foot, giving him a glare.

"Jack…. Perhaps you should watch what you say," she mumbled with frustration.

Jack blushed as he looked at his wife. "Sorry Mads, you know how much I like to ramble about ghosts."

"Yes dear, but sometimes information needs to stay between us," she responded through gritted teeth.

"But Maddie, they need help. If we can't answer their questions, what good are we?"

' _Someone is sending them? Could it be? Do they KNOW? I've dug pretty far into their computer and never even saw mention of Clockwork'_

But before she could continue her thoughts, Sarah let out a small cough to remind the couple they had company, and Sam that there was important information to be heard.

Maddie turned to Sam, a small smile on her face.

"Sorry dear, but it's just that we've been studying these ghosts for so long, and have such a personal connection, you need to understand how hard it is for us to share these things. Even when the press wanted to report on our portal, it took a lot of convincing."

She put her arms across her chest to imply that she was done discussing this topic and ready to move on, but Sam wouldn't have it.

"I understand Maddie, but I think we could help each other here. I may have some… information… you could need," Sam continued, picking her words carefully, trying not to let on that she knew more than she should.

At that, Jack's eyes got bigger in anticipation of what Sam might say next.

Pushing her thoughts on Clockwork aside, she decided to start with a safe question.

"You've seen the one they call Phantom?" Sam said hesitantly, glancing at her grandmother, who gave an approving smile to continue.

Jack, who was already listening intently, perked up even more at this. "Well of course! He's all over the place, saving people!"

' _Saving me…'_

"We've been trying to get a closer look at him since he first appeared," Maddie added, a bit less excited than her husband, "but the best we've gotten is from the blurry TV photos. He seems to be hiding somewhere when he's not in action."

' _I may know of a place.'_

Sam's thoughts were starting to distract her. She knew what her mission had been, but now that the Fentons had gotten onto the subject, she wanted nothing more than keep Danny to herself.

' _Selfish, selfish, selfish!'_

"Sam!?"

Her grandmother's voice brought her back.

"Honey, they asked you a question…" Sarah said with a worried tone.

"Oh sorry, lost in thought… say that again?"

"What do you know about Phantom?" Jack asked.

Sam gulped, knowing it was now or never.

"Well, he saved me once…"

* * *

Despite the conversation slowly moving in the right direction, Danny couldn't stand it much longer: his head was starting to hurt. He'd known the risks when he volunteered to stay invisible and listen to the stories, but he hadn't expected that he would be in this much pain. Another few minutes and he was likely to blow his cover.

Looking around, he quickly found a doorway and wandered over. Making sure no one could see him, he made himself visible, all pain slowly leaving his head.

' _Phew. That was close. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold onto this. I really hope we get some actual answers soon.'_

He saw a small reflection of blue in a nearby table and knew that his eyes must have changed to match his humanly black hair. Worry rose in his stomach as he thought about the repercussions - . if he went invisible again, how long would he have before he would have to keep running to the other room?

' _What's the point of me being in there if I have to keep running off!'_

As if answering his question, his back pocket started to feel warm. Hesitant, he reached in and retrieved the medallion he had grabbed on his way out. It was glowing green again, and unlike last time, touching it with his hand sent a small shock through Danny's body.

A shock small enough to make him take a step back, his hands catching the metal table before he could fall.

Hoping no one had heard, he lifted himself up, medallion still in hand, but not without spotting his reflection in the shiny table. White hair, green eyes. Back to being a ghost then.

* * *

"You remember the incident at school? With all the meat?" Sam asked the Fentons.

"The first ghost to appear since Phantom, how couldn't we? We're just sad we didn't get the chance to beat Phantom to the punch and tear her apart molecule by molecule!" Jack said, his voice booming again.

Sam winced at this, she'd almost forgotten that part of the Fentons' job was to examine ghosts.

' _If they so much as lay a finger on Danny I'll…'_

Maddie saw Sam's wince and stepped in again.

"Sorry dear, we didn't mean to frighten you. Please, continue."

Sam sighed and slumped a bit before adding to her story.

"Well, remember the girl he saved? The one on the news? That was me…"

Jack and Maddie turned to each other, then back to the ladies across the table.

"I knew you looked familiar that day! Why didn't you tell us you'd met Phantom? We've been trying to examine him for weeks!"

"Jack, Maddie, it's not that easy to just tell someone you were saved by a ghost. Especially ghost hunters," Sam said rather defensively, looking again at her grandmother, who hadn't said a word this whole time.

With a puzzled look, Maddie began to say something in defense, but was interrupted.

"I think what my granddaughter means to say is that she barely knew you and didn't want you both jumping to the wrong conclusions, " Sarah said, a small quiver in her voice.

"Grandma's right. If I had told you from the start, my time here would have been about nothing more than you prying me for info. I really have enjoyed working with you, and I really am interested in learning from you. How could I do that if you only wanted information about Phantom?"

' _Even though that's all I wanted…'_

It seemed the Fentons couldn't speak; Sarah and Sam had taken the words right out of their mouths.

Sam was about to add to the conversation when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She tried to restrain a shriek.

"Shhhh Sam, it's just me," Danny whispered. "You need to make an excuse to go to the bathroom, right now!"

Sam had almost forgotten that Danny had been listening the whole time - he really was good at being invisible and silent.

Forgetting what she had planned to say, Sam instead got up. "I'm sorry, this is just really hard for me. I need a moment. Please, can I just use the bathroom?"

Still trying to figure out what was happening, Maddie motioned to the hallway.

* * *

After closing the door, Sam turned with gritted teeth.

"Ok Danny, what is going on?!"

Sam let out a small yip as he reappeared next to her in all of his ghostly glory.

"Danny!" she whispered loudly as not to be heard. "You're back!?"

"Well that's one way to put it." He sighed, moving further into the room. Sam followed so they could speak louder.

"But how?" she asked, examining him up and down once again, only now noticing the amulet around his neck.

Danny extended his hand and held it out, implying it was the cause of his return to his ghost form.

"That necklace? The one from the dragon?"

"I guess so yeah. Somehow it's feeding me energy, making me feel like a ghost again."

A smile slowly formed on Sam's face.

"This is great! Now we don't have to confess to the Fentons. Or worry about your powers acting up!" Sam said happily. "We can go back to the way things were!"

"Sam, stop. Listen. This… thing… it may be working _now_ but who's to say it will continue? I can already feel my body pulling me back to humanity. I get the feeling this is a temporary fix."

Sam drooped, the hope she had briefly had gone.

"It's just, what the Fentons could do to you scares me. I've seen their lab and I know they're scientists, but the mention of tearing apart ghosts molecule by molecule has me worried."

Danny got closer to Sam, putting his gloved hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"I know. But you and me both know it's the only way. Plus, they've been searching for me their entire lives. They have photos on their computer of me, my sister, my parents. They have samples all over of what they think are clues to my disappearance. We can't let them keep guessing anymore."

He did make a good point, and as much as Sam wanted to argue, he was right. The Fentons, especially Jack, had been searching for a long time to find the ghost in front of her now. But something started to nag at Sam as he said those things.

"Wait, Danny? I never told you they had photos on their computer. Did you…?"

Despite being a ghost, Danny let a small blush form on his face.

"Of course! The night you left all that DNA in the lab! You saw those photos too?"

He nodded.

"You're not the only one researching the Fentons you know. Plus, it's pretty easy to sneak in when you're a ghost."

Sam smiled and looked at him again.

"Well what do you say? I think the sneaking is done. Ready to meet your family?"

* * *

Sarah knew Sam had other reasons for heading to the bathroom; she had felt a slight breeze as Sam walked away. But now she was alone with the Fentons, something she had never expected to happen.

She had to admit, it felt weird being face to face with the son of an old friend, yet feeling as though she didn't know him at all.

' _I'm sorry I didn't come around sooner, I really should have when I moved back, Jack. I feel as though this is partially my fault…'_

As if sensing Sarah's tension, Maddie found herself speaking up.

"Sarah, is it? You look familiar too. Have we met?"

Sarah didn't have an answer to that. Technically, they hadn't. But she was sure that in their research there were photos or some mention of her.

"It's… complicated…" Sarah sighed, trying to find the right words.

The couple turned to each other again, puzzled.

' _Ok Sarah, just tell them. It's what you came for right?'_

She let out a long breath before finally, "Jack, Maddie? I don't think I ever properly introduced myself. My name is Sarah Manson. I'm Sam's grandmother, yes, but I also used to know your mom. And your uncle."

* * *

"So YOU'RE the one in the photos. The childhood friend? Why didn't Mom ever mention you?" Jack asked, still stunned.

They were still in the living room, having spent the last few minutes allowing Sarah to fill them in on her past and the relationship she had with the family.

"Probably for the same reasons I never came around. We were trying to distance ourselves from the past, hoping it would all just go away," Sarah explained, a bit of sorrow in her voice.

Seeing the confusion on her husband's face, Maddie added, "Jack, you've got to remember how much your mom kept from you. For the longest time, you weren't even allowed in that basement." She put a hand on his shoulder as she said this.

He looked from Sarah to Maddie, still showing some disappointment. "I know Mads, but Mom loved talking about her childhood. I just can't believe she'd omit such an important part of it."

"Remember too, Jack, that it was me who ran away after her brother died. Me who let her get the way she got. As much as losing him broke her, I bet I broke her just as much for leaving," Sarah explained, sympathy in her voice.

Jack turned back to Sarah, a a scowl forming on his face.

"My mom didn't say much before she left this research to me, but the one thing she DID say was how broken she was when her brother died. And how alone she was."

His voice had a bit of anger in it this time, as if he was blaming Sarah for the pain his mother had endured.

"Jack, I'll have you know that I was just as broken as your Mom when he died, if not more so. He was my best friend and the love of my life, and walking across that graduation stage without him was the hardest thing I ever had to do. You have to understand, I needed to get away, escape, clear my head."

Sarah was annoyed now. She had known that facing the Fentons after all of this would be hard, but she had always thought they would show a bit more sympathy.

' _Sam, get out of the bathroom and back me up here!'_

"Oh I understand loud and clear! But for fifty years!? We've been trying to figure out all those old photos, the old stories, and the answer has lived across town!"

Maddie could tell her husband was about to lose it, and she didn't blame him. He was frustrated with the situation and just wanted answers. But she also knew that Sarah was not the proper one to provide them. While she did know his mom and uncle, she didn't know the kind of research that had been going on since she walked away.

Before Jack or Sarah could say anything else, she knew she needed to step in. Squeezing his shoulder, she said the only thing she could think of.

"Well, clearly the past has caught up to us." She paused, then added, "But why now?"

"I think I can answer that."

The whole group in the living room turned to the sound of a male voice coming from the hallway.

Danny watched as Jack and Maddie Fenton's eyes got wide before he stepped into the room, Sam following silently.


	22. Chapter 21

His hair was white, his eyes were green, and he had a gold necklace around his neck, but regardless of the changes, Jack Fenton could recognize that face anywhere.

He got up from his seat and stomped over to where Danny was now standing, bending over to look at him in the face before turning to walk around the ghost's whole body.

"DANNY?"

It was all Jack could say, despite the millions of thoughts that were going through his head at that moment.

' _We've been searching for decades, I can't believe this moment is finally here!'_

"Jack… I…" Danny started before being interrupted.

"How are you here? Why are you here? Why haven't you visited sooner? Why are you with Sam? Why…"

The questions were coming faster than Jack could think them at this point.

"Hold up Honey, take a breath!" Maddie interrupted, seeing the confusion on the young ghost's face.

"But… But… Maddddddie. We've been searching for decades and I need answers!" Jack cried, turning to his wife with a pout.

"And we'll get them, but right now I'm sure the… boy…" Maddie hesitated herself, unsure if she could even call him a boy at this point, "really just needs you to step back. Give him some breathing room."

Jack slumped back to his chair, but not without complaint. "Ghosts don't even breathe."

* * *

While Jack had examined him, Danny stood in his spot, silently wishing that he could just go invisible.

' _What have I done?'_

When Jack finally retreated, Danny took a few more steps forward, fully entering the room.

"Jack, Maddie, I know you have questions, and I'll try my best to answer them. But for a moment, can I talk without interruption?"

Maddie nodded, elbowing her pouting husband to do the same.

Danny continued.

"By now, I'm sure you know who I am. Who I was. Danny Fenton. Brother of Jack's mom, Jazz, and technically Jack's uncle." A small smile crept onto his face at the last comment.

"I died fifty years ago in a store explosion the night before my graduation. It was a stupid accident. I wasn't even going to go into the store, but my emotions were running high that night…" he turned to Sarah at this, a small smile forming on her face now too.

Jack's mouth opened at this. He looked from Danny to Sarah and desperately wanted to speak what he thought he had just figured out. But Maddie, seeing that Danny wasn't done, nudged her husband once again to keep quiet.

"After my death, my soul was placed in the Ghost Graveyard, where all lost souls go. It wasn't until you cracked the code to the portal that I was able to be brought back."

Danny was trying to avoid the subject of Clockwork's intervention for the time being, knowing that bringing him up would lead to even more questions he couldn't answer.

Half expecting it would be Jack to say something first, Danny found himself surprised when Maddie was the one to speak up.

"That night. When the portal opened. It was you that made it work, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he replied quietly.

Now it was Jack's turn.

"But WHY? Why didn't you reveal yourself then and there? Why go out into Amity, save people, plaster yourself on the news, make friends with them," he motioned to Sam and Sarah, "and not at least acknowledge that your FAMILY is right here!"

Jack was getting over emotional: He had waited years to find Danny, and now that he had, he wanted nothing more than answers and confessions.

"Jack… I… Wanted to… So many times when I visited the lab I wanted to show myself. But I couldn't. I was afraid."

Danny could feel a tear forming in his eye as he said this and realized that the amulet's ability to keep him ghostly must be wearing off.

But the emotion coming from Danny didn't stop Jack's questions.

"Many times? You've visited the lab? And you never showed your face?!" Jack was standing now, anger taking over his actions as his face began to turn red.

Maddie pulled her husband back to his chair before he could cause more of a scene, adding in a much calmer tone, "The thermos. The Booo-merang. Ghost DNA. That was you?"

Danny just nodded, not ready to admit out loud all the damage he had potentially caused.

Being controlled by his wife was something that Jack Fenton did not particularly enjoy, even when he knew she was right. But as long as Maddie kept talking, he knew he needed to keep his mouth shut.

"So you've been here since we opened the portal, spying on us?"

Danny gulped. He hated being accused of things without a full explanation.

"Not JUST spying on you. I've been saving people – which I believe you've seen – and doing… other things."

At this he looked to Sam, who had retreated to the couch with her Grandma. Both had been silent up until this point, knowing that Danny and the Fentons needed to work things out without their interruption.

"Of course! Why wouldn't you find your old girlfriend first? After all, you were the love of her life!"

Jack rolled his eyes as he said this, still frustrated at the secrets that had been kept.

Before Danny could say another word, Sam decided she needed to step up.

"Mr. Fenton, please calm down. Danny's been through a lot. Resurrection isn't the easiest thing you know. Trying to figure out where you belong and where you're from, with your first mission putting you in an unknown lab... It's not like he remembered everything either; he's had to work to regain the information he's been telling you!"

Jack and Maddie both looked at each other, each raising an eyebrow in confusion. . In all of their research about ghosts and their origins, they had never once come across anything about how a ghost regained their history; they had always assumed it just was in them when they were formed.

"You mean, you didn't have memories when you were brought back?" Jack asked, his voice becoming a bit calmer as things started to click.

' _I was hoping to avoid this subject for awhile, but I guess now is better than ever…'_ Danny thought as he let out a sigh.

"Only a few, but nothing major. I think it had something to do with how long my soul was in the Graveyard. ". Danny was starting to feel warm again as the pull of whatever humanity inside him finally broke through. And upon seeing Jack and Maddie's eyes get big, he had a feeling he knew what had just happened.

"Is that… is that… normal? Your eyes? Turning colors?" Maddie asked as she and her husband continued to stare in awe.

"Unfortunately, no," Danny responded. "In fact, it's the reason we're here." He walked over to where Sam and Sarah sat, acknowledging that they were a part of his story.

"The past couple of weeks, really since I met Sam and reconnected with Sarah, things have been weird. You see, I was the first ghost to ever be brought back from the Graveyard and had almost no memory of what my past was like. I was told I was returning to help open your portal, but once the portal opened, things got weird. I started to feel… human. Memories came back at odd times and bits of me started to change. Like my eyes."

"We believe it was brought on by the emotions that were being created when Sam and Danny started to…" Sarah said, waving a hand in the air expressively.

"Grandma…" Sam said through gritted teeth.

"What? They needed to know…"

It was Jack's turn to interrupt this time, as he slowly pieced things together.

"You mean you two have been...?" He raised an eyebrow without saying more only to see both Sam and Danny blush.

"It's complicated," Danny said, aiming his eyes to the ceiling and rubbing his arm.

"What they've been doing doesn't matter," Sarah continued. "It's the emotions that it caused. We believe that surrounding himself with human emotions is starting to bring back his own humanity."

Sarah was pretty proud of herself for coming up with such a scientific explanation.

"That would make sense," Maddie continued. "Come to think of it, we've actually never found any evidence of an actual resurrection. I think we just thought that all ghosts were resurrected because they obviously knew about their past."

"Now hold on Maddie! Remember what my mom found out?! About how some ghosts have unfinished business? Maybe that's it?" Jack added, starting to feel hopeful at finding an answer to Danny's lost memories.

"That's the thing. Those ghosts, you see, they're exactly like the movies – soulless spirits who were placed in the Zone upon their death to haunt the world until their business was finished. Like I said before, all others go to the Graveyard and have never come back," Danny explained, further confirming the Fentons' speculations.

"But you did. You were the first. It was Clockwork, wasn't it?"

The group turned to Jack, varying levels of surprise on each face.

* * *

"Clockwork?" Danny asked, surprised to hear Jack use that name.

But Maddie stopped them both before they could speak.

"Jack… I thought that information was _classified."_ Maddie emphasized that last word, once again implying that Jack needed to watch what he said.

Danny was confused. The information he had been able to acquire, both through his spy sessions and that annoying computer, had never hinted at the Fenton's knowing who Clockwork was.

"Classified or not Mads, he needs to know. Mom's research only began because of him, and now he's here!"

Jack got up and again stomped over to where Danny was, looking him straight in the eye this time.

"Clockwork is the one who resurrected you, wasn't he?"

Danny stumbled over his words at this, not quite ready to be put on the spot.

"Yes," was all he could say.

"And he told you that you were coming back to open our portal, and that was it?"

"Basically."

"LIAR!" Jack exclaimed before Maddie was able to stop him.

"Jack! Please! Calm down. You don't know that that wasn't his only reason." She grabbed her husband's hand, sending him some loving warmth.

"Maddie," he whispered urgently, looking at his wife with his puppy dog eyes, "remember Mom's research? What she said about him…"

"Yes dear, but those were all just speculations, never anything concrete."

Danny looked to Sam and Sarah, each raising their eyebrows as the Fentons continued the somewhat private conversation, unsure whether to interrupt.

"My mom knew what she was doing, what she was researching. She wouldn't have told me all those stories if she didn't really believe what she was saying."

Danny had to stop them here; he was too curious about the stories that Jack was referring to.

"Hold up. Stories? What stories?"

Jack turned back to look at the ghost boy, almost forgetting he was the reason they were all here.

"Oh man, she had tons of them! All about origins, legends, myths of the Ghost Zone!"

The tone in Jack's voice got lighter again as he started to remember all the fantastic things his mom had shared with him.

Danny, however, found himself on edge as he began to realize there were even more things that Clockwork had failed to share with him. While he understood that he didn't need to know the complete history of the Ghost Zone, if Clockwork himself was a part of it, he would have liked to have known a bit more.

"My favorite was the one about how the Zone was created. Would you believe that it's been around as long as our world has? Created at the same time! Built to hold all those that leave the living!"

Jack couldn't stop talking, excitement growing in his voice as if he were a child sharing a secret.

"It even has its own set of Gods to watch over it the way we believe in our own here! The most powerful is Clockwork of course! He's pretty much the … Oumph!"

Maddie had again pulled Jack back, causing him to stop his story. It wasn't until Jack saw Danny's face that he realized why it was so important to stop.

His still blue eyes were wide, and there was sweat beading down his face, as if he were nervous about what would happen next. His hands were shaking a bit too.

"Clockwork is a…. God?" Danny asked, trying hard not to sound squeaky.

"Well of course! He didn't tell you?"

"I already told you! He didn't tell me much of anything."

"But he was the one to bring you back?" Maddie asked; Danny nodded his head in confirmation.

"Clockwork is the Time God. He controls who gets brought back and why, as well as being able to see the various paths one's life may take. Sometimes I wish I had that sort of power," Jack said, adding that last bit to lighten the mood.

"No, you don't! Can't you see what that power has done to Danny! it's done more harm than good."

It was Sam speaking now, defending her boyfriend and trying to knock some sort of sense into Jack.

"If someone has that sort of power, they can manipulate and control whatever they want. They can lie and make you think that everything will be ok. But it's not ok. It's NEVER OK. What Clockwork has done to Danny has caused more harm than if he had just left him in that damn graveyard!"

Sam put her hand over her mouth at this, realizing she should have thought through her words before she said them.

Danny turned to her, pain in his eyes, trying to make sense of what she had just said.

"Danny, I… Sorry." She put her head down in shame.

"Hold on. The girl is right Jack, you can't wish for that sort of power. It only causes trouble. Look at how much it's caused us already, and we don't even know what else he's manipulated in our lives!"

"It's not like I would ever actually wish for that power! I just made a simple comment." Jack pouteddefensively.

Danny had stopped listening at this point, still a little put off by Sam's comment, but more absorbed in what Maddie had said.

' _Manipulated in our lives? How much does she know? Are my theories right? Is Clockwork somehow controlling my actions? My thoughts? My emotions?'_

He couldn't hold it in anymore; he had to ask the burning question on his mind.  
"How far did you get?

"Hmmm?"

"How far did you get in your research of Clockwork?"

Jack gulped, as if he was about to reveal something bigger than he had already."Clockwork's power. It extends beyond the Ghost Zone. Somehow – and I'm not sure why – he's able to manipulate those on our side as well."

* * *

He had been hovering above his castle, looking down at the Graveyard to make sure there were no hooligans spraying graffiti on the tombs today, when the tingling started. His whole body began to shake and transform from his elderly self into his child self in a way he'd never felt it transform before.

' _What is happening? My form doesn't change without my command!'_

Floating back down to his hall, he turned to find his largest screen had somehow turned itself on and was projecting nothing but rainbow static.

' _That's odd, I never leave it on when I'm away…'_

He floated closer to turn it off, only to stop as he heard a faint voice through the static.

" _Clockwork is a…. God?"_

"Daniel?" he said out loud as he continued to listen for an explanation. Only short bits of conversation broke through the static.

" _If someone…power…. manipulate and control…. They can lie … But it's not ok. "_

"The girl." He gritted his teeth, trying to restrain himself.

Anger was not an emotion he liked to show, and he was ashamed of himself for showing it now. But he also didn't like it when others jumped to conclusions, and this girl – Sam – was starting to catch on to a few too many things.

"Something will have to be done, and soon…"

* * *


	23. Chapter 22

Danny's eyes got wider as what he had come to suspect was finally proven true.

' _That's how I'm remembering. Maybe even how I'm reverting. Clockwork. He's been manipulating me. And if he's been manipulating me, who's to say he hasn't touched Sarah, or Sam?"_

Jack couldn't answer for a moment as Danny looked between him and his wife. Luckily, Maddie seemed to have an answer.

"From what we've speculated, and remember this is ALL speculation, he can somehow control the thoughts and actions of certain people he's watching."

"Certain people like me!" Danny responded.

"Danny, it still could be something else!" Sam interrupted. "Remember, these are just theories…"

"Theories! Weren't ghosts just theories!? When people laughed at my sister about her research, was that just a theory? Sam, I'm walking proof that things are more than theories!"

Danny was getting even more angry now. Of all the people who should believe him, he had hoped Sam would be the first. Instead she was questioning the very reason for his existence for the second time today.

"I never said you weren't. I just mean that we know so little, how can we even begin to make concrete answers?" Sam said, trying to regain his trust.

He glared at her with narrowed as she watched them flicker between green and blue, sending a small shiver down her spine.

"Please… stop… I can't take this anymore!" Tears were in her eyes as she looked away from him and ran back to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Danny began to follow, but was stopped by Maddie's hand on his shoulder.

"Danny, let her go. She needs time to think. We all do."

* * *

Jack took a moment to look at the boy, finally seeing him for who he truly was: Family. As a ghost, it had been hard to fully place where he had seen the face before, but now that he was flickering back and forth, Jack could see the family resemblance. The eyes were the same as his mom's, and the stature was similar to what he had seen in photos of his grandfather. This boy was a member of their family, and Jack knew he had to protect him at all costs.

"Danny my boy, we've all had theories. We've all had speculations. We've all wanted to give up on this ghost hunt. But we never have. And now you're here!" he boomed, trying to make light of the situation and make the boy feel welcome.

"Then why do I feel like I'm still missing something important?" Danny asked.

At this, Jack and Maddie looked at each other, eyebrows raised as if deciding whether or not to share something more.

"Because I am, aren't I?" Danny commented as he noticed the couple's reaction. "What are you hiding this time? And DON'T tell me it's just a theory!"

Maddie jerked, taken aback by the boy's sudden demand. Jack stepped forward instead, reaching out his hand to Danny.

Surprised, Danny's eyes lightened as he reached back, only to find that Jack hadn't wanted to take his hand, but instead to touch the amulet around his neck.

"This. This amulet. Did Clockwork give it to you?" Jack asked.

Danny, unsure how to respond to Jack's sudden change in tone, shook his head.

"Then where did it come from exactly? And why are you wearing it?"

Reaching down to touch it himself, Danny pulled away from Jack and retreated to the couch next to Sarah. Upon sitting down, he gulped, once again unsure how to respond though he knew he needed to tell the truth.

"I got it from a ghost – a dragon – who was actually a girl. When I removed it from her neck, she transformed back."

"Back into a human?" Maddie asked, scrunching up her face in confusion.

"Well, the ghost of a human," Danny replied with a small smile.

"But why are you wearing it?" Jack asked.

"Because… she told me something. Something about being 'one of both worlds' and how I was the only one capable of removing it from her."

"But why are you wearing it!?" Jack asked again, not satisfied with the answer.

' _Good question Danny. Why have you decided to wear it?'_ Sarah found herself adding in her head.

Danny looked at Sarah, as if to ask her opinion.

' _The green glow earlier, the ability to hold your powers longer... Could it be providing you with energy?'_

She nodded back as things clicked inside her head and he slowly removed the amulet from around his neck. As he did so, his ghostly glow faded, his eyes stopped flickering, and his hair turned black.

Jack's eyes grew wide, and Maddie let out a small yelp before covering her mouth. Neither knew what to say, so it was Sarah who broke the silence.

"As we said before, Danny's powers have been weakening lately. To the point where he's becoming more and more human." She sighed, turning to Danny and looking him in the eyes she remembered from so long ago.

"What the dragon said, and what this amulet can apparently do, must mean that whatever is happening can only happen to him. He is 'the one of both realms,' and somehow the amulet must be feeding him that power."

Jack got up, once again lumbering over to where Danny sat, and looked down at the boy. After a moment, a smile crossed his face.

"You look so much like all the photos on my computer!"

"Jack… this is not the time for reminiscing! For heaven's sake, he's confused enough!" Maddie interrupted.

"No, Maddie, it's fine. He's right, I look just like I did back then. And that's the problem…" Danny sighed.

"No, it's the solution!" Jack barked as if suddenly remembering something before turning to look at his wife.

"Remember what we found? In Mom's old files about Clockwork and the legends? There was something there about a savior!"

He was getting excited now, as if finally finding the missing piece to the puzzle.

"The one who will stop Clockwork's power? It couldn't be…" Maddie replied, looking from her husband to the boy on the couch and then back.

"Mads, it's gotta be! Remember the scribbles we spent hours deciphering!? Something about being a human among ghosts or… Ummmm… Darn it why can't I remember what it said?" Jack reached up to scratch his head out of frustration. He knew he was usually a bumbling, forgetful person, but he always tried to remember things when it was important.

"Jack… We never determined if that was even something your mom knew, or just a guess."

Now it was Danny's turn to chime in.

"Guess or not, theory or not, we need to find out more. Jack, do you have my sister's notes?" he asked, standing up again.

"They're downstairs, scanned into the computer. We can go look!" Jack was smiling widely now. Finally, an actual ghost mystery with an actual ghost who was also a member of the family!

Knowing she had lost, Maddie got up as well and looked to Sarah and Danny "Well, I'll lead the way I guess."

"You don't by chance have an elevator?" Sarah asked, acknowledging the fact that she was in a chair.

Maddie's face turned to one of sympathy as she realized that they indeed did not.

A small smile crept onto Sarah's face, as if this wasn't the first time she had to stay behind.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Besides, someone needs to make sure Sam's ok when she finally comes out of the bathroom."

Danny stopped and smacked his head at this comment.

"Sam!"

He ran over to the bathroom door, a bit of worry on his face, knowing that she may still be mad at him. Taking a deep breath, he slowly knocked.

"Sam, hey listen, I'm sorry that I made you upset earlier. It's just that, well, things have gotten a little weird lately. But, we may have some answers. Why not come and help us find them in the lab?"

He waited but there was no response.

Turning to the group, he let out a sigh.

"Hold on, let me try," Maddie said at seeing his down face, "Maybe she'll listen to me."

"Sam, Sam honey. Please come out. We know you're frustrated, this is a _weird_ situation, but we were hoping you'd come help us with some research downstairs. "

When she didn't hear a reply, she knocked again and slowly opened the door.

"Sam, please, we're just trying to…" Maddie stopped, looking down at the bathroom floor, and then back at the group.

"She's… gone."

* * *

_Sam sat on the bathroom floor, leaning against the bathtub as tears poured from her eyes._

' _Danny, I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you feel like you don't belong. It's just that this is so confusing. I thought I was in love, but with all these changes, it's hard to tell. I just need some answers.'_

_She raised her head to look up as a ghostly chill filled the room. Her eyes grew wide as she realized it was not who she had hoped it was._

_She nearly shrieked, but was silenced before a sound could form._

_Waving his staff, Clockwork surrounded them both in a circle of smoke, and disappeared in the haze as a short, metallic clang vibrated throughout the room._

* * *

Danny nudged Maddie aside, frantic with worry. The worry turned to dread as he looked around and found that Sam was indeed missing. Instead of his girlfriend sitting on the floor, all he saw was a rumpled rug. But upon looking closer he also saw the reflection of something shiny laying on the floor..

Taking a step in, he bent down and picked it up. It was gold and blue, and had a ribbon around it, much like the amulet he currently had around his neck. But this one was shaped like a cog. Things began to click in his mind as Danny realized where he had seen it before.

"Clockwork."

* * *

She woke up with a shiver, realizing as she came to just how cold it was here.

' _Where am I?'_

Sitting up off the floor, Sam looked around the room. It was dark, the only real light source coming from the various small windows above. The light source itself wasn't daylight, but more of a purple glow, which sent yet another chill down her spine. Even higher above the windows were massive glowing cogs, suspended in the air by apparently nothing. Looking back at eye level, she noticed several floating monitors, all turned off, yet still emitting a faint purple glow.

As she turned her head to look behind her, she felt something heavy hit her chest and discovered the large gold medallion – similar to the one Danny wore – around her neck. She lifted it to look at it closer, but couldn't decipher its meaning.

' _Glowing cogs, crazy medallions… this cannot be good. I need to get out of here, and fast!'_

She lifted the medallion off her neck, afraid of the power it could hold and knowing that she didn't want to run with the heavy thing on. But in doing so, she found herself falling through the floor into the darkness below. Again, she tried to yell, but was unable to before a cold hand grabbed her and pulled her back up.

"Silly girl. Did you really think I would bring you here safely if I intended to harm you in the end?" the ghost said as he returned the amulet to her neck.

"Next time you remove it, I won't be here to stop you from falling into the abyss that is the Ghost Zone."

Sam let out a small yip as she watched the figure go from looking like a helpful old man to a playful child in a matter of seconds.


	24. Chapter 23

The wheels in Danny's head were spinning as he stood with the Fentons in their lab.

' _Of course! I knew I had seen something similar to my amulet before! Clockwork had a whole wall of them in his lair when he brought me back. But if he told me their meaning, I sure can't remember it now'_

Maddie was sitting in a chair, tapping away on her computer keyboard, trying to piece together the mystery of Sam's disappearance.

Jack was pacing by the portal, rather loudly muttering something about how this was all their fault.

' _I wonder how many realms have their own amulets. The one I have isn't the same as his…'_

' _Is that really what matters right now? After all, Sam is MISSING and we know it had to be Clockwork!'_

' _But he never struck me as the type to abduct someone. Yes, he lied and has clearly been feeding me memories, but abduction?'_

' _Maybe he knows something I don't. About this prophecy. Maybe it has to do with Sam…'_

The thought of Sam being somehow involved with Danny's apparent destiny made him shiver. As much as he had fallen for her recently, he hated thinking he would be the reason for her getting hurt.

A loud banging sound followed by an " _ugh_ " brought Danny back to reality. Looking over to Maddie at the computer, he saw that her head was down in frustration.

"You would think that Google would know a little bit more about these ghosts!"

"Google?" Danny asked, confused yet again by the computer lingo.

Maddie turned around, a small smile on her face.

"Right, different time. Google – it's a program on the internet you use to find information other people put online."

Danny shook his head , only understanding about half of what she had just said.

Jack walked over and put his hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Trust me, my boy, if Google can't find it, then we're out of luck!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Danny sighed as he looked at the ground.

"It's not that the information doesn't exist, it's just that it hasn't been found yet," Maddie added, trying to add a bit of optimism. "There's a reason there are only a few para-psychology schools out there, and your sister got laughed at for attending one of them."

"It's just not fair! Somebody has to know what's going on!" Danny shouted, moving away from the Fenton couple.

"We've tried everything shy of going into the Ghost Zone ourselves," Maddie said, trying to keep her cool.

"And we're not about to do that without a proper map and protection!" Jack added.

A light in Danny's head went on at this, and he turned back to look at them.

"Why not send me? I'm a ghost, I've been in before, and have been wanting to go back for a while. Let me go in and get some answers!"

The two Fentons looked at each other, raising their eyebrows. The look on Jack's face showed how much he desperately wanted to send the boy in, but the look on Maddie's said how much she wanted to keep him safe. As always, Maddie seemed to win out.

Jack was the first to respond with a sigh.

"Danny, as much as I would love to send you in there, we haven't properly mapped it yet. Every device we've created to send in has disappeared or exploded within the first few minutes."

"It's just not safe, especially with your powers on the fritz," Maddie added.

He had been so obsessed with Clockwork and finding Sam, Danny had forgotten that he was still in his human form, having tried to use his amulet after coming downstairs to no avail.

"I know, I know! But we cannot just wait for the answers to appear to us. We have to do SOMETHING! Didn't your examination of his medallion tell you ANYTHING?"

The first thing they had done upon arriving in the lab was to investigate and test Clockwork's medallion, searching its surface for any indication of its origin and power.

"DAMNIT DANNY, DON'T YOU THINK WE'RE TRYING?!" Jack boomed to the boy in front of him, his hands shaking.

Danny was taken aback at this, having never experienced the true wrath of Jack Fenton before. "Yes, of course, it's just…"

"No. Listen here. We have been searching FOREVER to find information about the Ghost Zone. About YOU! And now here you are, and suddenly we're caught in this web created by a ghost we don't have any information about! Don't you think that if we knew more we'd be doing it right now!? This is mine, my wife's, YOUR SISTER'S life work, and now it's put an innocent girl at risk!"

Jack let out a loud sigh before falling to the ground and putting his head in his hands. A muffled sobbing sound followed.

Maddie looked at Danny before bending over to check on her husband.

"Jack, please, we know how important this research has been to you, but you can't blame yourself for what happened to Sam."

Jack raised his head and looked at his wife with big, tear-filled eyes.

"Mads, I always knew our research would get results, but I never thought it would put an innocent girl in danger. I just want to take it all back."

Danny hated what he was hearing and knew that the Fentons needed a bit of privacy. Turning his back to them, he walked over to the table where Clockwork's medallion was currently sitting.

' _There has to be an answer to this. Futuristic tech or not, something has to be able to crack this thing!'_

Danny's hand brushed across the bottom one last time, only to notice a small hole that resembled the ones he had seen Jack using to plug things into his computer.

' _Would Clockwork really put a normal, human hook up in his ghostly device?'_

Danny knew next to nothing about current technology, and having investigated the lab on multiple occasions, knew that the Fentons' lab only housed the technology needed for to run their gadgets – never anything normal.

He paused to think, wondering if there were another way to sate his curiosity over the technology that was housed within the medallion. Finally, he remembered something Sam had told him once.

Turning to the Fentons, who had both gotten up from the ground, Jack still with red eyes but no longer crying, Danny smiled.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"You want me to what?" Sarah asked the boy, eyes getting big behind her thick glasses.

"Those things everyone carries and stares at all the time. The little devices, you have one right?"

"Danny, dear, I think you mean an iPhone?" Maddie offered, coming up behind him.

After having explained his idea to the Fentons downstairs, the group had returned to the living room where Sarah was waiting impatiently for answers.

"Well why didn't you say so! Of course I have one, but I barely know how to use the thing…" she replied as she pulled the device from her pocket.

"Warren insists I keep this thing in case I get hurt," she muttered.

"Perfect!" Danny said with a grin. "Do you have the book on it?"

Sarah raised her eyebrows.

"The book, the one with the friends?"

Maddie stepped in yet again, putting her hand on his shoulder and scooting him over a bit.

"I'll take it from here," she said with a soft smile.

Danny grumped as he stepped back to join Jack.

"Don't worry, my boy, I don't understand those things either!" Jack said, trying to reassure him.

"Sarah, do you have Facebook on your phone?"

Sarah smiled, realizing what it was Danny had been trying to describe.

"I think I installed it once, for Sam. Her phone was on the fritz so I lent her mine. She's probably still logged in and everything. Hold on..." She looked down at the bright glow of the device in her hand, using her fingers to swipe across the screen until finally she found what she needed.

"There it is! But how is this going to help?" Sarah asked as she held the phone out to Maddie.

"Danny, what did you say his name was again?" Maddie said, turning to the boy again.

"I think Sam called him Tuck…"

* * *

School had been out for the past few days due to Fall Break, so unfortunately, Danny wouldn't be able to track him there. Luckily the digital profile for the boy had listed a place of work, giving Danny a good lead on where to start.

Partially because his amulet STILL wasn't working, and partially because a ghost walking into a store would be weird, he had decided to try and stay in his human form for this mission. Which was harder that he wanted to admit, as getting from place to place was a lot easier when you could fly.

' _How did I do this when I was alive?'_

He smiled to himself, realizing the irony in his thoughts as he pushed open the door to the store.

If the record store hadn't been such an eye opener, his amazement would have been greater. Everywhere he looked there were glass tables holding devices that ranged in size from the large computer he had seen in the lab to mini screen smaller than Sarah's. At one corner, there was a man standing with a weird hearing aid type thing in one ear, talking away to seemingly no one, while in the other, a group of teenage girls was huddled around what looked to be a plastic cylinder emitting the music of some unknown boy band.

Danny felt dizzy as he took in all the tech, realizing just how much he had missed in the fifty years he had been gone. If he hadn't died, would he have accepted all these things? Found them normal? He didn't want to think about it.

Refocusing on the mission, he tried to imagine the face he was seeking out. He had a faint idea of who he was looking for, having seen a couple of blurry photos on the boy's limited profile, but he knew he couldn't be sure until he saw him face to face.

Seeing as this was his place of work, Danny approached the counter, hoping that maybe the cashier would know who he was looking for. His mind in a daze, he didn't even notice when the clerk called him forward.

"Dude. You're holding up the line. Can I help you?"

Stepping forward, Danny faced the kid behind the counter. He was about to ask about the boy but found himself unable to before the kid spoke himself.

"You?"

Taken aback, Danny put his hand on his chest. He didn't think anyone would recognize him as a human.

"Pardon?" he asked.

The kid leaned forward, his glasses falling down his nose, and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Phantom?"

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Danny's wheels began to turn as he realized he had managed to find exactly who he had been looking for.

"Actually, it's Danny."

"But, but… why don't you look like… you?" the boy asked, he dark skin beginning to turn pale.

"It's a long story, but I'll explain if you come with me."

* * *

"So, you're telling me that Sam has been abducted by a ghost – Clockwork – and the only way to find her is by using this medallion to track him, but you can't figure out the medallion because you don't have the tech for it?"

' _How is it possible I know more about this ghost tech than the Fentons?'_

Tucker had now joined the group in the living room of Fenton Works, having followed Danny there from the store. But with each moment, he felt more and more like he should have just stayed behind.

"Something like that yea," Danny replied.

"Tucker, it's more than that. We believe this Clockwork fellow is behind Danny's return and transformation. We think he's been playing with his emotions. Making him do things," Maddie added.

' _He's a ghost! I wouldn't be surprised…_

While Tucker had been excited to learn about the technology and ghost happenings when the Fentons first announced their discoveries, the excitement had begun to wear thin on him. What with Sam's recent obsessions and all the ghost attacks, it felt more like an episode of Scooby-Doo than anything innovative and groundbreaking.

"As her best friend, I'm worried about her, really. But you can't expect me to just jump into this cold turkey," Tucker said, crossing his arms.

"We hate having to ask so much of you like this, but we could really use the help," Maddie pleaded.

Tucker just stood, his eyes fixated on the ceiling.

"Maddie, we NEED his help! We can't let any more time pass with Sam in there!" Jack began, his voice a bit loud, startling Tucker.

"I know dear, but we can't just force his hand," she replied through gritted teeth.

"But, but…"

"STOP!"

It was Sarah's loud exclamation that made the group turn this time.

"Can't you see! This is getting us nowhere!"

She wheeled over to Tucker.

"Tucker, you are the only person who has ever stood by my Sam. Spending time with her, looking out for her, making sure she got home safe. I'll admit, I was a bit worried when she brought you home for the first time, what with all your little quirks, but I've warmed up to you. And I believe in you. We all do. Can't you please help us find her?"

' _Sam's Grandma has always had a way with convincing people…'_

He could see the fog behind her glasses as a few tears began to stream from her eyes.

Maybe it was pressure, or sympathy, or the desire to make sure his best – and only – friend was ok. Either way, he looked down and nodded his head in agreement.

* * *

"So, I bring a backpack full of cables and cords to work every day in case someone needs a troubleshoot," Tucker said as he opened his bag.

They were in the lab now, having spent the last few minutes letting Tucker take it all in.

"Hopefully one of these is compatible with that medallion you found." He dumped the bag's contents onto the ground.

Danny walked over to the lab table, picked up the gold trinket, and offered it to Tucker.

"The plug is on the bottom, just under the inscription. It's really small, do you see it?" he asked as he handed it to the boy.

Tucker took it with both hands, feeling the weight and examining it closer. He turned to Maddie.

"Do you mind if I look up something on your computer?"

"Go right ahead! But Google already failed us once today!" Jack boomed before Maddie could respond.

"Yea, but Google doesn't know how to hack government technology websites," Tucker muttered as he sat down in front of the screen.

"Government technology? Since when is the government involved?" Maddie asked.

"It's not, but they keep a database of all the cords and cables and outlets and stuff…" Tucker replied as the glow of the computer reflected in his glasses.

A few clicks and passwords later, Tucker found himself on the main page of the U.S. government's catalogue of technology.

Watching him scroll down the page in a blur gave Danny a headache.

' _Seriously, how does anyone live with this much tech?'_

Finally Tucker stopped, moving out of the way to show the group what he had found.

"I think this is it. A T-95 adapter. If the picture here is a match to the medallion, I may have just the cord!"

He held the medallion up to the screen, comparing the bottom of it to the photo, and a smile formed on his face.

"Good news?" Maddie asked.

"This is it!" Tucker exclaimed as he hurried back to his pile of tangled cords, digging until he found the one he needed.

Everyone smiled as he held it up, but Tucker's smile slowly faded as he realized something else.

"Ummmm, what do we plug this into?"

"Hmmm?" Jack asked.

"Well, it's got a USB on the end but I'm afraid to plug it into your computer without the proper program installed. After all, this is ghost tech, and who knows what kind of viruses that could bring."

"I don't think we need to worry about that," Maddie smiled, "We installed anti-ecto protection on the computer a few years back."

"Of course! It took me AGES to install that stuff, how could I have forgotten. Mads, you think of everything."

He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek as the two teenagers looked back at the computer, trying to refocus on their task.

Taking the Fentons' enthusiasm as a confirmation that it was fine to plug the thing into the computer, Tucker grabbed the cord and plugged the flat end into the tower.

He looked to Danny, hope and fear in his eyes, and nodded as he plugged the other end into the medallion.

The computer screen went black, and a loud sigh came from everyone in the room.

"Really!?" Danny complained as he raised his hands in frustration. "Just when we have a lead, nothing…"

Before he could finish his statement, bright green words appeared on the screen.

T.I.M.E. INITIATED. Y TO CONTINUE. N TO STOP.

"I'm guessing you want me to hit Y?" Tucker asked; everyone nodded.

As he hit the button, the group watched the screen change to what resembled a large, pixelated map with several glowing dots in various places.

PLEASE SELECT ITEM TO TRACK AND HIT Y.

"Sooo, now what?" Tucker asked.

"Hold on son, let me see this thing," Jack responded, coming forward to take the boy's place at the computer.

"It looks like there are lots of locations on here, but it's hard to tell which one we need to track."

"Danny, do you remember anything about places or names?" Maddie asked as her husband squinted at the screen, trying to decipher the tiny writing under several of the locations.

Danny stepped back to think for a moment before answering.

' _Did Clockwork ever have a name for the Graveyard? His home?_

* * *

_He was on his knees, head facing down at the ground with hair hanging in his face. White hair._

" _I've done it. At last, I have finally found an answer."_

_The boy looked up, eyes wide with confusion._

_A figure floated in front of him, dressed in all purple with what appeared to be a grandfather clock showing through his chest. In his hand he held a staff, also resembling a clock, and when he got closer to the boy, his appearance suddenly went from old to young._

_The boy lurched back, afraid of the figure's touch._

" _Don't worry son, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help." The young figure spoke with a bit of compassion in his voice._

" _What? Where? Who?" was all the boy could say in response._

" _Of course, you're confused. You've only been back for a few hours now. Your mind hasn't fully returned yet. I should have known that would be a side effect of resurrection."_

" _Resurrection?"_

_Confusion spread across his entire face now; he still couldn't understand what was happening to him._

" _Of course. You, Daniel, are the first soul I've ever been able to retrieve from death."_

" _Death? You mean, I…?'_

" _Died, yes. But I've brought you back." The figure smiled._

" _Back to where?"_

" _I believe the humans call it 'The Ghost Zone,'" he answered with amusement, "but this part, my home, is the Island of Lost Time."_

* * *

Danny opened his eyes and looked at the group, all of whom had turned face him once again.

The amulet around his neck was glowing green, and he could feel its heat permeating his body.

"Does he do that a lot?" Tucker asked.

"Change his appearance? Yes, I'm afraid so," Maddie answered.

"The Island of Lost Time. That's where she is," Danny replied, his green eyes glowing down at them.


	25. Chapter 24

Clockwork had put Sam down and was floating close to the ground in front of her, trying his best to keep her from freaking out more.

' _I should probably calm her down before I go trying to get information.'_

He could sense the fear in her and, despite bringing her here to find out what she knew, his instinct told him to hold back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just dangerous here if you don't know where you're going. You really should have stayed put."

She looked back at him, still shocked by his revelation.

"Excuse me?"

"No, excuse _me_. I should have given you a proper warning about the consequences of removing my medallion."

' _Humans are so hard to read. Why can't she just accept my apology?'_

"Proper warning? Ha! That's funny coming from the dude who abducted me!"

Her eyebrows were raised now as she glared her purple eyes into his red ones.

He floated there for a moment, still in his adult form, trying to figure out the best answer to the girl's accusations.

' _She is right you know, you did abduct her…'_

"And for that, I apologize as well. It's just, you see, you were figuring out too much. About the Ghost Zone. Daniel. Me."

* * *

Sam stood up, the answer she had known all along finally becoming clear.

' _Glowing cogs, changing appearances, finding out his secrets…'_

"Clockwork?" she asked, her voice a bit lower than it had been in her previous accusation.

"You hadn't figured that out before? I thought you were smarter than that." He quickly changed to his older form, causing the girl to jolt back once again.

' _God, stop doing that!'_

Giving herself a second to readjust to his changed form, she looked at him again, trying her hardest to hide the fear building inside her.

"Well, I had a feeling…' She raised her eyebrows.

"And what else do you have a feeling about?'

' _That you're an evil, controlling spirit who needs to get a better hobby.'_

Despite the thoughts raging in her head, she didn't want to jump to any conclusions out loud for fear of what he could do to her.

She looked down from those glowing eyes, suddenly remembering the medallion around her neck.

"This medallion," she said, holding it up to him. "It's keeping me here?"

The ghost smiled again, this time with a small chuckle.

"In a sense, yes. You see, in the Ghost Zone, humans tend to fall through things."

"The Ghost Zone? You brought me to the Ghost Zone!"

' _I should have realized that when I fell through the floor…'_

"Well of course dear, where else would I live?"

She was still mad, but needed answers too badly to try and figure out a way to escape

"You live here?"

' _Sure looks lonely… Maybe he needs a cat?'_

His voice interrupted her thoughts again.

"Here? Yes. This is my realm you see, the Island of Lost Time. And I, Clockwork, watch over all who come and go from this realm."

' _Even those who you bring back…'_

"Even those like… Danny?"

He became young again at hearing this name, a playful expression on his face.

"Ah, Daniel. Yes, especially him."

* * *

_He had a frustrated look on his face as he flipped through the timelines on his screen, the book in front of him once again open to the usual page._

" _There has to be an answer here somewhere! I've reviewed the timelines over and over again! I've questioned – and scared – every ghost who may know anything. I've even tried removing that cursed amulet myself! And yet… nothing."_

_He looked down at the book again and decided to read the words on its page out loud._

" _One day there will come a being strong enough to wield the power of both realms. Upon the removal of the cursed Amulet of Aragon, this being will take its true place amongst both humans and ghosts, freeing the Ghost Zone of the dark power that lingers over it, and taking its place as the protector of both realms. "_

_He sighed, slamming the book and letting it fall to the ground._

" _I watch over the Zone, even that pointless Graveyard, and am constantly reviewing the things those humans do. Why can't I remove that amulet!?"_

_As if finally answering his questions, the screen in front of him suddenly turned to static._

" _That's odd. I can control the time channels with my mind, but I've never had them go to static before…"_

_But before he could question further, a new scene appeared. The date at the top read 1965._

" _Hmm? Why would it go there?"_

_The scene showed a girl in bed, her face flushed, with an ice pack on her head, her eyes closed. Lying next to her was a boy with the same. Both had black hair; the girl's was down to her shoulders, while the boy's was a messy mop upon his head. As the ghost watched, the girl coughed and the boy looked over at her, reaching out to her. She opened her eyes at this and gave a small smile back._

" _Those eyes. I've seen them before? But where…"_

_He turned from the screen, trying to make sense of what exactly he had just witnessed._

" _Such a trivial moment, but it must mean something…"_

_He walked over to a smaller screen, an idea brewing in his head._

_The small screen came to life with a single thought and quickly began to shuffle through scenes as the ghost searched for what he needed._

" _I have to find those eyes!"_

_The screen stopped its shuffle on a still scene, and the ghost's red eyes grew big as he took in what he saw._

_A girl and a boy were sitting on a doorstep, each holding an ice cream cone in their hands. The boy's was beginning to melt all over his pants, and the girl had stopped licking her cone to laugh at him._

" _Bingo!"_

_Her eyes were a match for the ones he had just viewed, and yet…_

" _That's not her…"_

_While the eyes looked the same, the girl was definitely different. Her hair was shorter and pulled back. She wore a black tank top, a violet skirt, and black bangles on her wrist._

_If that wasn't enough to give it away, the time stamp at the top of the screen was… 2019, a year that had yet to happen in normal time.._

" _She has to be related to the girl from 1965. It would make sense after all, I've checked the 2000's millions of times, I'm sure she's come up before. But why now?"_

_He examined the still again, looking between the girl and the boy, his eyes getting wide._

" _Hold on. . Show the final still from the home screen next to this moment."_

_He lurched back as the first scene appeared next to the current one, unable to believe was he was seeing._

" _It's not possible."_

_But it was. Somehow, someway, the same boy was in both scenes._

* * *

"You see, Daniel is…special. I've known this even longer than you've been on Earth."

Clockwork grinned as he let his own memories return.

"His abilities, while he may not know it now, will soon play an important role in the Ghost Zone. A role even more important than the one that I play."

Sam looked up at him in confusion.

"But if you need him so much here, why would you send him out there?"

Clockwork's grin faded as he turned from the girl, trying to hide his frustration.

' _Why must she ask so many questions? She can't possibly expect to understand these things!'_

"How I chose to test the boy is none of your concern."

Sam got up, wobbling a bit as she realized she wouldn't fall through this time. Crossing her arms, she raised her voice in frustration "Clearly it is, or you wouldn't have dragged me down here against my will!"

' _Shut up, girl!'_

Clockwork turned back to her, red eyes glowing.

"You cannot possibly expect to understand these things!"

She fell back onto the ground, as if being forced there against her will, but even upon falling, she refused to turn away

"Maybe if you'd TELL ME! The whole reason I'm here is because I got 'too involved' with Danny! Well someone had to, because clearly you weren't!"

It was Clockwork's turn to jolt back, as his eyes dimmed, and he once again changed forms as Sam got back up.

"YOU resurrected him. YOU sent him into my world. But YOU told him NOTHING. NOTHING about what was going to happen. NOTHING about his powers, his destiny. That doesn't sound like someone who watches over things. That sounds like a coward!"

She was livid now, trying to defend the one thing that had kept her sane and safe for the past few weeks.

Clockwork looked at the girl, trying to hide his fear of her.

"STOP!"

She froze as he pointed his staff at her with a small chuckle.

"Oh dear, I forgot to tell you that I have extra power over medallions in my own domain. Oops. Maybe I'll just leave you here for a bit, let you cool off."

He floated back over to his home screen, his mind returning to the main reason he had brought the girl here in the first place.

"If they're as smart as I believe they are, by now they should have found my little 'gift' and initiated the Temporal Isolation Mechanics Executor."

He smiled as his screen lit up with a scene from the Fentons' lab, with Danny and another boy staring at a pixilated map.

"Perfect."


	26. Chapter 25

"Remind me again why I'm wearing this thing?" Danny asked into his headset.

"Because your powers are too weak to go in unprotected," Maddie's voice of reason answered back.

"I think they're strong enough to not need a full-on metal bodysuit," Danny mumbled.

"I heard that!" Jack's voice came through. "I'll have you know, Danny, that the Fenton Ghost Armor is a state-of-the-art battle suit, equipped to protect even the weakest human inside the Ghost Zone. It has built-in trackers, sensors, weapons, guns, ecto-shields…."

Danny turned down the volume on his headset as Jack rambled on about all the powers his body suit had.

' _My powers feel stronger than ever after that last memory; I can't believe they're making me wear this thing!'_

After his most recent revelation – a memory he had not recalled until that day – Danny had returned to his ghostly form, the amulet around his neck glowing stronger than ever as ectoplasmic energy pulsed through his body. It was that moment that the group knew what they had to do and had decided to send Danny into the Ghost Zone. But to his dismay, they had insisted upon the bodysuit as a backup.

While Danny knew he needed communication with the outside world to make sure he knew where to go, he didn't feel the full-blown suit was really necessary.

"Danny? Danny!"

Danny came out of his reverie as he turned the volume back up to better hear Tucker's voice.

"The GZPS navigation on this thing says there's a door up ahead. Should be large, purple, and ornate with cog designs. Take it when you find it!"

"GZPS?"

"Ghost Zone Positioning System, remember? We discussed this how many times?" Tucker's voice sounded annoyed as he rambled off yet another definition, not for the first time today.

"Sorry Tuck. I don't speak 2017, remember?"

"Fine, fine, fine. Just open the big door when you come to it and go inside."

The speaker clicked off and Danny was alone in his thoughts for a bit as he floated through the Zone. Everything around him was green or purple, and it all had a faint glow. He remembered bits and pieces from when Clockwork had brought him back, but it had all been so fast that he hadn't a chance to really take in the actual creepiness of this place.

A shiver ran down his back as he flew past a floating door with several eyeballs lining the outside, each one blinking right at him.

"At least I'm not supposed to go through that one…" he said quietly as he looked back at the blinking eyes.

CRASH!

"Hey! Watch it whelp!"

He had been so busy following the blinking eyes, he hadn't even seen the ghost in front of him until they crashed into each other. Floating back and rubbing his head, he looked up to find himself face to face with the barrel of a large ecto-gun.

' _Ohhhhh crap.'_

* * *

"My sensors are indicating that Danny has stopped. I'm not sure why. He hasn't gotten to the door yet," Tucker said to the Fentons as he turned away from the screen.

"Maybe he needed a break?" Maddie offered.

"Or maybe he ran into a ghost!" Jack boomed, excitement brimming on his face. "Tucker, call in and find out!"

"I already tried that, Mr. Fenton. It seems that Danny turned off his headpiece."

"Just when things were getting good…" Jack pouted.

"Now Jack. No one said he even ran into a ghost…" Maddie said, trying to hide her worry and be strong for them both.

"His vitals are going down!" Tucker said loudly as he returned to the screen.

On one side, the map they had from the medallion was open. On the other was an app connected to Danny's suit. While they had told him that they wanted him wearing it for protection, they hadn't mentioned it could track his vitals too, for fear of him refusing.

Jack ran to the computer, practically pushing Tucker out of the way.

"It must be a ghost! He's in his first battle and we're missing it!"

' _What is this, a rescue mission or a Pokémon game?'_ Tucker thought as he rolled his eyes.

"Hold up Jack, he's fine, look! His heart rate is steadying. I'm sure he'll turn on his communication and be on his way soon."

* * *

"Anyone who bangs into Skulker like that will find their pelt on my wall!" the ghost roared, his gun pointing right at Danny.

Danny's mind was racing as he tried to find a solution to his newest problem

' _No soup container here. Just me, my hands, and this suit. Gotta try something!'_

"Hold on. It was an… an… accident. Maybe we can talk this through? Over coffee sometime?" Danny tried to joke.

"You wish whelp! I am Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter, and I do not discuss things over coffee!"

' _Worth a shot.'_

"Well, then I guess you don't like heat!"

With that, Danny raised his hands and found a ghost ray being emitted from within the robotic suit, much stronger than he had ever produced alone.

' _WOAH!'_

The ray hit the ghost in the chest, sending him flying backwards to bang against a nearby door. Taken off guard, he floated there for a moment in a daze.

' _Think. Now what?'_

But before he could do much else, the ghost looked up at him, revelation shown clearly on his face.

"YOU."

Once again taken aback, Danny just blinked.

"They've been talking about you. Ember. Technus. Even that stupid lunch lady. You're the… the… one."

Skulker's eyes got big as he talked, as if he'd suddenly found himself in the presence of greatness.

' _The one? The one what? Why is it that people keep hiding things from me?'_

"The one who lives outside. Walks among the humans like a fool." He started to regain his senses a bit of green drool on his lips as he snarled the last word.

"No ghost has ever voluntarily CHOSEN to live with humans. It's insane. They never accept us. Never give us a chance to explain. But you, you're different somehow…"

' _I'm nice…'_

Danny floated , watching as the ghost in front of him came closer, afraid of what would happen if he raised his guns again.

"Why?"

Danny blinked and shook his head.

"Why? Why did you choose to live there?" He was serious as he said this, but the amount of time it was taking Danny to answer gave Skulker more time to think, and he began to raise his gun again.

"And more importantly, why are you choosing to defeat us, your kin?

' _Kin? Really?'_

Danny put his hand on his chest and floated backwards, taken aback by the last comment.

"Excuse me? Last I checked, my family was all out there," he gestured in the direction he'd come from, "left behind when I died."

It was Skulker's turn to act surprised.

"You remember them!?" His green eyes got wide again as he lowered his gun, but only slightly.

"Of course. Don't you remember anyone you left behind?"

' _I mean, we all had to leave someone, right?'_

"Ha! I, Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter, am nothing more than formed ectoplasm. I never walked that pathetic realm you call Earth, and even if I had, I doubt that I would have left anyone behind worth caring about."

' _Oh yea, I do remember something about some ghosts just being formed out of ectoplasm. I wonder how many though?'_

Before Danny could say more, Skulker continued.

"But even Ember, one of the strongest human-born ghosts I've met, doesn't remember anything beyond her desire to move on."

Danny shook his head, trying to comprehend everything he was hearing.

' _Ghosts of humans don't usually remember their past?'_

Danny was in shock: he was learning more from a random stranger than he had ever learned from his so-called "Mentor." And with each new revelation, he found his desire to find Clockwork and Sam becoming stronger. He knew he needed to keep moving, but this ghost had answers, and Danny was afraid of what may happen if he tried to escape.

"Listen buddy, I don't know why I have these memories or connections, but I do know that I need to find Clockwork. He has a friend of mine, plus some answers I need now more than ever. Can we just call a truce and move on?"

Skulker shivered at the mention of Clockwork, despite being used to the natural cold of the Zone.

"Don't say that name."

"Clockwork?"

"Clockwork is the one who determines our fate and our destinies. Who goes, who stays... We only see him when he needs something, but he always sees us and the things we do. No one dares defy him;The only ones who try and take him on always regret it."

"I am not taking him on! He brought me back, and now he has my friend. I just need answers!"

' _Seriously dude…'_

To Danny's surprise, the ghost put his guns away.

"I'm not going to stop you, but I doubt you'll make it much farther. His door is up there, but you won't be able to get in. No one can without a time amulet, and he doesn't go handing those out to just anyone, believe me I know" Skulker smirked at this, as if happy at the boy's failure. "Once and a while a few trouble makers sneak in, but they never last long."

' _Last long? Can ghosts die again?'_

Danny gulped before he said, "Gee thanks." He began to head towards the door, but before he could get far, he heard a clicking of a gun and turned to face the ghost.

While the gun was pointed at Danny, he didn't fire. He only smiled.

"Consider this your warning. I won't shoot you today, but I won't stop hunting you either. After all, I collect the rare and valuable, and one like you is definitely both."

He put the gun down again and turned to fly away.

'

Sighing relief, Danny flew forward, examining doors as he went. Finally, he came to the one he needed – big, ornate, and covered in cogs.

' _Maybe he's right, maybe I can't get in?'_

As he got closer, he noticed no typical types of security blocking his way. In fact, the door seemed shockingly normal beyond its decorations.

' _So, what, do I knock?'_

He reached for the knob and turned. To his surprise, it came open with no problem. It was what he saw after it opened that took him off guard.

A transparent blue film filled the space of the door, almost like an electric field keeping him from entering. Willing to bet this is what Skulker meant, he wondered if he would be able to step inside without hurting himself.

' _Maybe I'm immune? Maybe my powers mean I don't need his stupid amulet?'_

He gulped again, closed his eyes and flew into the opening.

Tucker was still in the lab, waiting patiently as the dot that represented Danny refused to move and Danny's coms didn't turn on. While the ghost boy's heartbeat had returned to normal, Tucker had to wonder if something was up.

He hadn't known Danny personally for very long, and as such, it had been hard for him to agree to sending him into the zone to find Sam. But it was Sam that had convinced him; he knew her well and knew that Danny would be the only one capable of truly rescuing her.

' _Wait till she's safe, then give her the lecture on being more careful about who she dates.'_ He chuckled to himself.

The Fentons had gone upstairs to check on Sarah and grab a bite to eat, having gotten sick of waiting, so Tucker found himself alone at the computer.

' _I wonder how protected the things on here are…'_

He left both apps open in a corner as he looked around the desktop, curiosity getting the better of him.

' _Family photos?'_

He skimmed through the same photos that Danny had found before, stopping to laugh at how outdated all the clothes were back then.

' _Bellbottoms and button-downs… wow.'_

Noticing there wasn't much more on the desktop beyond Jack's game downloads and a few mostly empty folders, Tucker tried to stay patient. But, being the tech-geek-hacker he was, he felt like there was more he could be doing with his skills, and quickly found himself in the computer's mainframe search engine.

' _Might as well see what they knew about this Clockwork dude while I wait.'_

He typed in the word Clockwork too see what he could find, and to his surprise, multiple folders popped up, all with little locks in the corner.

' _Password protected, of course.'_

' _Ghost bios. Ghost Zone known history. Resurrection speculations. Even when I figure out the password, where does a person even begin?'_

Before he could decide, however, a ping came from his open apps, and Danny's voice came through the speakers.

"Tucker? Tucker? I'm sorry! I turned off the communicator and then I ran into a ghost and — and… you there?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Tucker turned on the com on his end.

"I'm here and I hear you loud and clear! Did you find the door?"

"Yea but I didn't think I'd make it in. There was some sort of shield blocking my way!"

' _Back to square one?'_

"But you did?" Tucker asked.

"Yea! It was weird. I just went right through like I didn't need a key or anything? I wonder if my connection to Clockwork is what allowed it?"

"Well, let's not question it, and keep going!" Tucker answered, ready to be back on track, "What do you see?"

Well…I think I still have a ways to go. This part of the Zone is different. Definitely Clockwork's, but I barely remember it. Floating cogs all over, shrinking and growing as a watch.! Making me dizzy. It's like a huge maze."

"Hold on, let me check this map."

Tucker minimized his search, making a mental note to return, and clicked into the ghostly map. To his surprise, the dot representing Danny had changed.

"Phantom? Are you floating in one spot right now? You will not believe what I'm seeing!"

The coms began to crackle as connections faded in and out.

"Tucker, you're losing the point. I don't have all day!"

"What point, dude? I haven't said anything."

"Houston?" Danny's voice came through.

' _When did I mention that?'_

"It's Danny, remember?" the voice replied, a little frustration coming through as well. "But yea, I'm just floating here, waiting for your instructions captain."

"Haha captain. Well Houston, we have a problem," Tucker said as déjà vu hit him.

When nothing but static returned from the other end, Tucker added, "Can you hear me now?"

"Houston?" came Danny's voice gain."YES. HOUSTON, as in NASA…" Tucker was growing angry now. Not only were Danny's words confusing, he was beginning to repeat himself. "Ohhhhhhh wait, you died before space exploration. Sorry!"

' _Doesn't explain why he isn't responding right away though…'_

Suddenly the coms were clear, and Danny's voice rang through.

"I tried floating towards one of the clouds, and when I got closer it just vanished! I've seen some crazy stuff in here, but never this!"

This time it was Tucker's turn to keep silent.

"Tucker!?"

"Ack! Sorry! So, your dot is here, and the map changed to show your location. But the map, it's gotta be glitched or something. It keeps moving your dot to different parts of the screen, like you're teleporting around. But then when you moved just now, your dot stood still. Like things are reversed. It seems impossible, but…"

"I'm a ghost. I'm currently in a Ghost Zone. There are glowing cogs around me. _Nothing_ is impossible," Danny replied dryly, then added, "But space exploration!? Really? That sounds amazing!"

"Wait! What's this?" Tucker leaned into the computer, his glasses touching the screen as he read some very small writing.

' _T.I.M.E. stands still for no one'_

The coms started crackling again as Danny's voice came through without a prompt.

"I haven't moved since the first time. I'm afraid of what might happen until you know more."

"I didn't say anything, but now that you mention it, are you floating still again?"

Tucker watched the screen as Danny's dot continued to jump around.

The speakers crackled again as Danny's voice broke in and out.

"Houston?"

' _Seriously dude…'_

As he said this, Tucker's eyes darted from the writing back to the large map, and he noticed hazy cloud shapes scattered around, almost blending in with the background. Each shape was made up of numbers, constantly increasing. He watched as Danny's dot moved from cloud to cloud, and began to put the pieces together.

"Well, I may know a little bit more. How much do you know about Clockwork's realm?

The coms became clear as Danny's voice responded.

"Not much. Apparently not all can enter, only those with special permission. And when he brought me back he warned me about the consequences of leaving on my own. He always made sure he was with me. Something about getting lost in time."

Things clicked as Tucker continued to watch the numbers increase.

' _Fading out. Speaking out of order. Increasing numbers…'_

"Man. I have a feeling you aren't in the present anymore."

* * *

" _The Island of Lost Time?" he asked, looking up at the purple hooded figure._

" _Yes. My home within the Ghost Zone. This is where I watch over all that come and go." The ghost gestured around the room, as if to show off the space._

_But the boy was too shaky to care about how impressive it was._

" _So, we're… I'm? A ghost? But why?"_

" _I wish I had a better answer," the ghost responded with a grin, "but simply put, I need your help."_

" _My help? But I barely remember my name. How can I…"_

" _Stop boy! Just stop! And listen!" His eyesglared red as he grew older, causing Danny to once again jolt back in fear._

_Seeing the fear in the boy's face, Clockwork let his eyes dampen and turned to a large screen on a wall. It suddenly lit up with an overhead view of a city._

" _Amity Park. Seems pretty quaint, right? Do you remember anything?"_

" _I… I… I think I lived there?" Danny racked his brain as he found himself rising to his feet and taking shaky steps to join the ghost at the screen._

" _Yes! I remember! That's where I was born! Where I grew up! Where I…. died." He lowered his voice at this last one._

" _Oh good, more memories are coming back. I knew they would in time." Clockwork grinned again, as if hiding a secret._

" _But why is Amity Park so important?" Danny asked._

_The screen flipped to another scene, this one of a large metal room. The angle of the recording showed two figures standing in front of some large doors. The two watched as the woman grabbed a large plug and put it in an outlet. And then… nothing happened. Both figures looked dismayed at this._

" _Meet Jack and Maddie Fenton. They've been working to create an opening to our world for some time now, but haven't been able to open it up."_

'Fenton? Why does that feel familiar?'

" _What does that have to do with me?" Danny asked, feeling as though he was missing something important._

" _I believe you, son, are the key. The one who will be able to open it. I just need to send you through." Clockwork turned young again as he said this, looked the boy directly in the eyes._

_Danny shuttered, feeling more and more scared by the moment._

" _Me? I don't… I don't know anything about anything."_

" _It's ok, I'll train you. Make sure you're ready. We have a few days. That event you just saw? It isn't supposed to happen until next week."_

" _Next week? You mean you can see the future?" Danny's eyes got big at this revelation._

_The ghost just laughed._

" _The future. The past. The present. My boy, I can see it all…" He stopped, wanting to go on, but realizing that he was already giving up too much information to a ghost child whose mind was still new._

" _We'll just leave it at that. You need your rest, let your mind rest for a while." The ghost turned off the screen and began to float away, back to his own chamber. But not before looking back at the young boy before him._

" _Stay here, relax. But please, don't leave this room. You'll find my realm is not so forgiving. You see, time doesn't stand still here, and without my guidance, you may get lost." A toothy grin formed on his face as he turned into a child and disappeared, leaving poor Danny to shiver in fear._


	27. Chapter 26

_Sam was in her homecoming dress, staring over the side of the high school roof._

'No, Sam, don't even think about jumping…'

_She looked down, the ground below feeling further and further away the longer she stared._

'Tonight was supposed to be a good night, but instead it's the worst. I just need it to end…'

_One foot off the ledge, Sam was feeling dizzy. Her heart was beating fast. She couldn't breathe._

"No turning back now."

_She looked down again. The ground was right there. She could just take one more step and keep on walking._

_Closing her eyes, she began to count out loud._

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three…"

_Her second foot left the ledge._

_She was falling, closer and closer towards the hard concrete below, her dress blowing around her._

_There was no time to scream, no time think. She just kept falling…_

* * *

Sam lurched forward, waking herself up from her nightmares only to find a set of glaring red eyes looking down at her.

' _Great, another nightmare.'_

She blinked, hoping he'd go away, but he just floated there waiting for her to say something.

"Would you stop staring already?" she said angrily.

He just grinned.

"Seriously dude! Can't you just take me home? I've been here for days, and you don't really need me for anything!"

"That, my dear, is incorrect," he finally said.

Sam raised an eyebrow, questioning once again her captor's motives.

"Which part?"

The grin returned to his face as he let out a small chuckle.

"You have not been here for days. Not really..."

"Well it sure feels like it!"

"That's the temporal time system of my realm, you silly girl. Making you think you've been here for days when in your world it's only been hours."

Sam got up, still adapting to the unsteady ground, and lunged forward, ready to smack the ghost in front of her. But he disappeared and reappeared behind her, causing her to fall forward.

"When will you learn that it's pointless to attack me? "

"When you learn it's pointless to keep me here. Clearly I know nothing about Danny's destiny."

"Incorrect again," he replied slyly, changing forms.

Sam stopped, confusion clear on her face. She had known that there must be a reason they were drawn to each other, she and Danny, but she had always assumed it was because of her Grandmother. She had never really thought of it as much more.

"His humanity," she finally said after a few moments of contemplation.

The ghost looked at her; his young eyes had a playful glow to them.

"I thought I ' _wouldn't understand_ '" she asked, adding sarcasm to her last part.

"Time changes things, child, and in the time you've been here, I've discovered just how smart you are. So, why don't you tell me what you think about his humanity?" Clockwork grinned.

She looked back at her captor distrustfully before finally speaking. "His humanity only started to return when he saved me. When we started hanging out. When we…" She blushed, not wanting to discuss her intimate affairs with a ghost, even though she was sure by now he had watched them happen.

He returned to his adult form and floated closer to her.

"Smart indeed. And now you are beginning to understand. You, my dear, are the key to Danny's destiny. Without you, he cannot possibly fulfill the prophecy he was born for."

* * *

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

_Clockwork rose from his chair, the book falling to the floor. He quickly turned to his screens, which were all currently showing different scenes from a young boy's life, and flipped them all off._

" _What is it? Can't you fools tell I'm busy!"_

_He waved his staff, releasing the protection shield from his door and allowing several ghosts to come floating in._

_The three ghosts were each wearing a nice looking robe paired with a vampire-like cape. Their bodies were green, and they had domed heads with a single eye in the middle. Around their necks, a medallion like the ones Clockwork kept on his back wall glistened in the green light._

" _You're shirking your duties again Clockwork!" the first one said._

" _Ghosts are running rampant, attacking each other and breaking down realms!" said the second._

" _You need to restore order before it's too late," the final one added._

_Clockwork just rolled his eyes._

" _You observants. You don't see anything important. It isn't my job to keep the peace around here, remember? That's what we hired Walker for."_

" _This is beyond Walker's scope, Clockwork," the first one said. "These ghosts are talking about invading your graveyard. They want to move on…"_

_Clockwork shook his head, "Lowlifes. It's not that simple! You can't simply find a plot and expect to leave this place!"_

" _They need your guidance to remind them of that," the second one chimed in. "Remember why you were created in the first place?"_

_Clockwork froze, trying to remember the last time he had actually helped a ghost move on._

'Has it been that long?' _He thought, before adding, "_ Does it really matter anymore?"

_Returning to reality, Clockwork gazed at his visitors. "I have other priorities!" he said loudly, glancing at the book on the ground._

_The third observant caught his gaze and floated over to where the book sat. Picking it up, he looked at the open page and read aloud._

" _One day there will come a being strong enough to wield the power of both realms…"_

" _Not that stupid prophecy again!" the first Observant shouted. "When will you learn that it has no importance. It's just a story!"_

_Clockwork's eyes turned a brilliant red as he glared at his visitor._

" _WRONG. This prophecy has bearing on everything! And until I can finally figure out who that being is, I do not need your interruptions!"_

_Without even waving his staff, he flung the three ghosts backwards through his door. He allowed the shield to lock itself again before picking up the book._

" _I'm so close to figuring out how this boy will save us all. I just need a little time."_

* * *

"I've been studying ghost lore for centuries, trying to find the precise moment when the savior would come along and free us all from the darkness. It took countless hours and days and years to finally discover Daniel, and it's all thanks to you."

He grinned at the girl, who was sitting in a chair in front of his largest screen. He had been debating for days (hours) now how and when to finally tell her the whole story, and this morning's spat had finally convinced him.

' _If I want her on my side, I need her to know the role she plays.'_

"By now I'm sure you know about the prophecy."

She nodded, and before she could say more, he continued.

"I was certain for eons that I was the one destined to fulfill it, but as hard as I tried, I just could not remove that amulet. And then, one evening, this scene appeared on my screen."

He turned, flipping the channels with his mind to the scene with Danny and Sarah sick in bed.

Sam was taken aback. While she had viewed the photos on the Fentons' computer, she hadn't seen anything quite so personal.

"And that one scene told you….?" She crossed her arms.

"More than you can know, dear." He transformed to his older self and the screen next to the first flipped to a second image.

Sam gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing. There, on the steps of her house, were her and Danny, attempting to eat ice cream. What had shocked her wasn't the scene itself, but their appearance in the scene. While Sam was in her usual goth attire, Danny was fully human: Black hair, t-shirt, blue eyes. Not even a hint that he could be a ghost. And even if she had remembered the scene, the time stamp above told her otherwise: 2019

"How?"

"Exactly what I asked myself when I first discovered these two scenes. How could one human be in two different times, yet look as if nothing has changed?"

Sam was speechless, taking in his comments.

"And then it occurred to me. He had to be a ghost. But not just any ghost; a special one. No other ghost looks and acts like their human selves when they return: there's always some sort of change. Not to mention ghosts don't eat, sleep, or breathe, and they rarely leave the Ghost Zone. In fact, without me they rarely remember their past. "

"One of both realms," Sam said quietly.

"Exactly!" Clockwork almost shouted. "And so, my research began. I started watching scene after scene of Daniel and your grandmother, trying to find the exact moment when he would pass on. And I began researching resurrection, because I knew he wouldn't come back on his own."

"You planned this. The whole thing? Even Danny's death?" Sam asked, suspicion growing.

"What can I say? Fate was out of my control."

Sam jumped up from her seat, once again glaring at Clockwork.

"Out of your control! You've been controlling him since his first life! I'm pretty sure you could have let him say goodbye!"

"Don't test me, girl. Remember, you know NOTHING about how my job." His eyes were bright red again, and this time he found himself taking a mental hold of the girl, sending her back to her seat.

"I'm starting to get a pretty good idea," she muttered as she found herself forced to sit down.

"You should feel lucky I'm telling you these things at all."

"Why _are_ you telling me these things?"

' _I'm starting to regret this decision,'_ he thought.

"Like I told you, as much power as I have over the dead, I can only do so much to help him. But YOU…YOU are a part of his destiny. Without your support. Your friendship. Your… bleh… LOVE, he can't ever fully take on both forms."

Sam was about to interrupt, but stopped when she heard Clockwork mention love. Did she really love Danny? Yes, she had been feeling like they had a connection, and they had kissed and gone on dates multiple times, but could it really be true love? Or just another manipulation?

The mention of 'both forms' also caught her interest.

"Both forms?" she enquired again, raising the other eyebrow.

"Picture this: I, Clockwork, the master of all time, finally figure out resurrection and bring one Daniel Fenton back from the dead, only to find that he is a full ghost, not the human I hoped he'd be."

"So?"

"So, in the scenes I saw of him with you, he's always a human. As much as I looked, I never found a scene with him as a ghost, but yet, when he came back, there he was, full ghost. Something must have blocked my screens from picking up all the things that have happened until they happened. Things were clicking in Sam's mind as she did the math. Was it possible that Clockwork's vision only extended so far? And even more so, was it possible for Danny to fully regain his humanity because of her?

"I realized that he was truly both. Not just a human who had been resurrected, but a ghost with the power to become human. And that power, my dear, is linked to your love."

* * *

Sam was holding the book, having just finished reading the prophecy for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"But he already removed that amulet," she said at last, then added, "and it's starting to give him power."

Clockwork smiled.

"Yes, girl, it is. But remember what we discussed? How his humanity begins to return when he's around you, or even when he's thinking of you? It can't just be a coincidence."

She had replayed the scenes in her head over and over again. The flickering glows, the hunger, even the complete transformation. They had all happened when they were together, and their emotions were high.

' _Why me?'_

"That still doesn't explain why he was able to remove the amulet," she sighed.

"Well of course not. I only showed you the prophecy. I didn't explain the true power behind it all. I'm sure even that fool Dora didn't know the whole story when she let Daniel take it."

Smirking again, he allowed Sam to let go of the book, and it floated up into his hands. He flipped the pages until he came to one a bit further back.

"The Amulet of Aragon is one of two amulets that exists in the realm of dragons . While the amulet belonging to the Prince Aragon is one of darkness, the Amulet of Aragon worn by the princess is that of light. Given to her by her true love, it became bound to her the day he died in the dragon's war. Drowning in depression, the princess took her own life shortly after, leading her kingdom into despare until finally it was eliminated from human existence. Since the day of her appearance in the ghost zoneshe shall be destined to transform whenever her emotions are high. Blah… blah… blah… You get the point." He shut the book loudly and looked back down at the girl.

"How come she didn't tell Danny all this when he took it from her?" Sam asked.

' _Seems fishy to me.'_

"Given how long it's been bound to her body, I doubt she even remembers its source anymore, my dear. Even ghosts tend to change and forget things with age."

Sam looked dryly back at Clockwork, unconvinced.

"Plus, she was probably so relieved to have it gone, she didn't have time to think. After all, if you had something bound to your body for eons, wouldn't you just be glad to be rid of it?"

' _Well…'_

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Don't roll your eyes at me,!"

Sam found herself succumbing to Clockwork's powers again as her legs moved against her will to stand up.

Clockwork blinked, and his eyes dimmed back down as the power left her body.

* * *

' _What am I doing? I've never allowed my powers to control anyone, let alone a human, in this way. I need to focus. Regain control of the mission at hand!'_

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he apologized sincerely.

"It's… ugh… fine. Just please tell me what this has to do with my connection to Danny. I get that 'our love can bring him power' but…" she put the last bit in air quotes.

Clockwork floated down to her level, his eyes becoming soft.

' _Be nice.'_

"It's exactly what I read, Samantha. The amulet he has, it's made of light. It's connected to love. The same love Daniel has for you. It's what fuels its power."

Sam jerked back. She had been here for what seemed like days, and this was the first time Clockwork had called her by name.

' _Say something, girl, anything. You can figure this out. You're smart.'_

When she didn't respond, he added, "Think. Every time he's begun to turn human, it's been because of you. And every time he's needed his ghost powers, it's also been because of you. Because he needed to SAVE YOU."

He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder as a small tear appeared in one of her eyes.

She shuddered as his cold hand touched her shoulder, but she didn't jump back. Instead she allowed it to rest there for a bit as her teary eyes looked into his.

' _Show some compassion. Make her see that you're right. You aren't the bad guy here…'_

A wave of warmth flooded through his body down towards his hand, transferring to Sam's body through his touch. Upon feeling the warmth, Sam's tears stopped and she blinked.

"I'm, just so, so tired. And ready to go home." She sighed.

Clockwork removed his hand, but a little warmth remained in Sam as he turned to the screens behind him.

"Unfortunately, by now Daniel is on his way to save you. So sending you home would do no one any good."

Her tears stopped as her expression returned to that of worry.

"Danny? He's on his way?"

"Oh yes, precisely as I had planned, of course."

The warmth that he had shown momentarily vanished as he turned to his largest monitor and let it turn on, revealing what looked like a very scared Danny in a full-on body suit taking aim at another ghost holding up his own ecto-gun.

"Although, I didn't plan on him getting lost and running into an old friend."

Sam watched as Danny blasted the ghost, sending him flying across the realm before the screen went black.

Seeing her expression, Clockwork quickly responded.

"Oh, don't worry child. Skulker is harmless. Danny is fine. In fact, he's more than fine. Didn't you see? He's back to being a full ghost. All thanks to that amulet, and his desire to save you."

' _Just as planned. Another test: Passed.'_

He noticed a small grin and a look of revelation cross Sam's face as he said these words.

' _I'll win her over yet.'_

"So, he's in the Zone? And when he gets here? Then what?"

"We'll figure that out if he arrives. He has to pass my time barriers first." Clockwork smirked.

' _The hardest test yet.'_

"Time barriers? What else aren't you telling me about?"

By now Sam was standing again, and the warmth she had just felt had all but left her body. In its place was more anger.

Clockwork just laughed as he found himself aging up.

"The workings of my realm are a story for another day." He said as he allowed Sam's body to fall back into the chair.


	28. Chapter 27

" _Repeat again."_

" _I wait until after we know the doors have failed and then find the opening within the Zone. You send me in, and that activates the portal. After that, I am to stay and watch over the city for awhile, make sure the Fentons get things going and make sure no harm comes to them or the city."_

_Danny's voice sounded robotic as he recited his mission for what seemed like the hundredth time._

" _Exactly." The elderly ghost smiled down at him._

'And by keeping him there, he will inevitably meet _her,'_ _Clockwork found himself adding in his head._

" _But why me?" the boy asked, interrupting the ghost's train of thought._

_His smile faded as he looked down._

" _I've told you, Daniel, that no other ghost can possibly understand the human realm as well as you, for no other ghost has memories of a past."_

" _But I barely remember my past, and you haven't told me much. Just how and when I died, really." Danny, despite being a ghost, felt near to tears at this._

_Clockwork flew down closer to the young ghost in front of him, changing into his childish self as he did._

" _Trust me, if anyone was destined for this mission, it's you." He reached out a hand and put it on the boy's shoulder. At this, the boy looked up and smiled._

" _Ok. I'll do it!"_

* * *

"You're telling me that I am currently floating between time periods?" Danny practically yelled into his speaker.

"I think it's more time is speeding up or slowing down depending on where you are," Tucker answered, unsure himself what to say.

They had finally figured out that if Danny just floated in one place, everything would be clear and fine. Unfortunately, staying in once place wasn't helping them find Clockwork's tower.

Tucker was still at the computer, punching numbers and codes into the map system, but coming up short. He had tried everything from adding and subtracting the numbers in the clouds to clicking on parts that were outside the general scope, but nothing seemed to work. There simply was no way of figuring out Danny's next move.

A stomping noise stopped his thoughts as he turned to see Jack coming back downstairs, a large sandwich in his hands.

"Tucker! Any news?" he asked between bites.

"Well... we found Clockwork's realm. But Danny Is kinda stuck."

"Is he in another ghost battle!" Jack boomed as bologna spat across the room.

' _Dude!'_

"I wish, Jack. More like in another _time._ There's something about Clockwork's realm that isn't keeping time the way we do here. Every time he moves, time changes."

"Really! Will the scope of the Ghost Zone ever end?!" Jack asked, excited to think there could be even more to research.

"You're missing the point Jack!" Tucker said angrily. "Danny can't go anywhere without getting all out of whack! How is he supposed to find Clockwork?"

Jack walked over to Tucker, shoving the remains of his sandwich into Tucker's lap, and bent over the screen.

"That's a lot of numbers there," he concluded.

' _No duh. I figured that out already.'_

"But nothing is bigger than 26…"

' _Wait? What?'_

Tucker nudged Jack away from the screen and looked closer. Yes, the numbers were gradually increasing and moving around, but Jack was right. There was never a number larger than 26.

' _26… 26… what significance could that have?'_

"26?"

"Almost like the alphabet," Jack answered.

' _Duh.'_

Tucker turned back to Jack, dumbfounded.

"What, you think Maddie is the only scientist around here?" he answered with a smile.

"But how could that possibly help Danny?" Tucker asked as he looked back at the numbers, things clicking in his head.

"I already helped you figure out one connection, my brain can't handle much more until I finish my lunch!"

As if sensing the need for answers, more footsteps could be heard from the stairs and the duo turned to see Maddie appear.

"Jack, you used all the mustard again!"

"Sorry Mads, I was hungry."

"It's fine, it's fine," she replied, then added, "Any news on Danny's whereabouts? Sarah is getting worried! I sent her out to get some air, but I can tell she's a bit stressed. We all are."

"Well, we made a little progress, but we're stuck again. He made it to Clockwork's realm, but time keeps changing on him and we can't figure out this code to get him much further," Tucker answered as Jack took another bite of sandwich.

"What's the code? I almost majored in math before I met Jack," Maddie stated as she joined the group around the computer.

"26. The numbers in the clouds only go up to 26. So they must be related to the alphabet," Jack told her through a mouthful of bologna.

"But they're all moving around, so we can't do much else," Tucker added.

Maddie looked more closely at the screen, her expression blank as she processed what was happening.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, she stepped back.

"Time."

Jack and Tucker just looked at each other.

"Time. The numbers spell T.I.M.E." she said again, but seeing their blank stares, pointed at the screen.

"Look, this cloud here, the third one. As the numbers blink, some are faster, and some are slower and brighter. The brightest is 20 - T" she pointed to the one farthest from Danny's dot, "And this one is 9- I They all have a different number that's the most prominent. The four clouds on this screen spell TIME when you rearrange the letters."

"So, you think if we can navigate Danny to the proper clouds in the right order…?" Tucker replied, optimism in his voice.

"He'll find Clockwork!" Jack replied, spitting bits of bread at the group.

* * *

_The two figures watched the screen intently as Jack and Maddie Fenton began preparations to plug in their portal. They had watched it many times since Danny's return, but this time was different. This time was in real time._

" _Getting closer…" Clockwork practically whispered at the screen._

" _Why can't we just leave now so I'm there when they plug it in?" Danny asked._

_Clockwork turned his gaze from the screen to the boy next to him._

" _We won't know the precise location of the portal's opening until AFTER they try it," he said as he turned back to video._

" _I thought you could see the future?" Danny asked, starting to question the powers of his mentor._

" _I can, but even my powers have their limits, and in this case, the portal opening changes each time I view this scene._

_Danny rolled his eyes and continued to watch._

" _3… 2… 1…"_

_The couple plugged it in and nothing happened, just as it had the millions of times they had watched this clip before._

_Clockwork turned again to Danny, a small grin on his face. "Ready?"_

_Danny was nervous. He knew what they needed to do, but was he really ready for this?_

"… _Yea. Let's go."_

" _Just stay with me. The realm outside my castle is a bit confusing. We don't want you getting lost in time."_

" _Lost in time?" Danny stopped at this, his fear returning._

_The ghost chuckled as he became younger._

" _Nothing to really worry about, as long as you stay with me. But some ghosts seem to enjoy testing their luck and wander in here unprepared."_

_His monitor flipped on again, this time to a scene of a young ghost in a pirate outfit. As he floated through the clouds of purple and green, Danny noticed the ghost age ever so slightly._

" _Come on! Just tell me how to get out! I only wanted to mess around in the graveyard!"_

" _As you can see, Youngblood here was not so lucky."_

_Danny turned back from the monitor to the ghost next to him, confusion still on his face._

" _But you've had visitors. How do they make it through?"_

'Enough with these questions! It seems as though I won't get him anywhere until I tell all my secrets.'

_Clockwork sighed as a gold medallion with clock markings appeared in his hand. Pushing it towards Danny he gave a brief explanation:_

" _These medallions are designed to protect those who venture into my realm. As long as you are wearing it, you will always find your way in and out. But those without? Well, they end up like Youngblood."_

_Danny looked down at the medallion and slowly lifted it over his head._

" _Keep this on and I don't die. Got it!"_

* * *

"Ok Danny, I think we have this figured out. It looks easier on my screen than it does in real life, I'm sure, but try to work with us here."

Tucker was back on his coms, explaining the number code to Danny, who was still off floating somewhere in Clockwork's realm.

"I'll do my best Tuck, but no guarantees. If things start to sound jumbled, you know I'm ahead of myself again." He tried to laugh at this, but it sounded more like a cough due to his worry.

Tucker turned to Jack and Maddie, a worried look on his face. Maddie put her hand on his shoulder.

"This will work, I promise. We'll get him there and save Sam," she whispered. Tucker smiled and turned back to the screen.

"Ok, there should be several clouds – at least four – and you need to find the third one from you. But try not to hit any of the others on the way there. That's what will mess up your time placement."

* * *

Danny listened as Tucker spoke into his ear.

"…you need to find the third one from you…"

He gulped, allowing his mind to clear as he looked around. There were way more than four clouds surrounding him, but if that computer was correct, than the likelihood of all these clouds being on their screen was slim. Which meant that the cloud Tucker was referring to was, in fact, the third one from him.

' _I still don't get this directional technology thing, but I guess I'd better start trusting it…'_ he thought as he slowly floated forward, making a point to navigate around the first cloud in front of him.

"Ok, I think I see the one you're referring to. The third cloud in front of me. It's big, misty and violet. But once I get there, then what?"

There was no reply for a moment as Danny waited.

"Danny? It's Maddie. Based on my knowledge of ectoplasmic energy, you just need to float into it. It should take you to the next place and then our map will show you the 'I'."

' _Easier said than done,'_ he thought as he approached the cloud. Closing his eyes, he allowed his body to take full control and floated directly into the mist.

* * *

"Danny! Danny! What do you see?" Tucker's voice rang in his head as he opened his eyes. Something must have worked, as he was now in a completely different-looking realm. Instead of the darkness he had become used to, this place was a lighter purple, with all glowing green clouds.

"It's… purple here. And a little more green. What's on your map?"

"The clouds are back, but they changed size and position. They're still blinking numbers though, the same as before, so we must have done something right. Hold on while we examine them."

As Danny waited, he looked around again, careful to avoid touching anything that could throw them off course.

"Oh look! He's walking! Come to Daddy, Danny!"

He stopped, taken back by what he was hearing, and turned his head to find its source.

"No, come to Mamma. Can you say Mamma?"

He blinked as the cloud in front of him transformed from the eerie green to a more transparent floating image of what looked like a young couple and their son.

"Come on, mom. You know he's too young to understand that!" the voice of a girl rang through as Danny looked in awe to see his sister appear in the scene.

"Danny! We got it. We know your next spot!"

Danny didn't answer as his eyes became glued to the cloud, tears forming in his eyes as he watched his first steps.

"Danny!" Jack's voice broke through and he stopped staring and the cloud became a green mist once more.

"Sorry, it's just that I… nothing. Where next?"

"Behind you, three clouds over." Tucker came back in. "And don't let anything distract you. These clouds look even worse."

' _I already figured that out.'_

He turned around, about to start counting, when another voice came through.

"I'm Sawah."

"Danny," a young child's voice replied.

The cloud in front of him had transformed again, this time into a scene from pre-school with two children on the playground. Danny knew he needed to move, but he couldn't bring himself to stop staring as the two became quick friends.

"DANNY! What is going on? You need to move!" Tucker's voice shouted through his headset.

"I'm sorry, it's just… memories. My memories. Of before. They're appearing, in these clouds, like this realm knows my past."

"Well that's interesting, we've never heard of anything quite like that," Maddie chimed in.

"But Mads, you gotta remember, this is Clockwork. He wanted to make it hard to find his home," Jack added.

"You gave them headsets, didn't you Tuck?" Danny asked as he slowly moved past the pre-school cloud.

"It seemed easier than handing off one all the time," Tucker replied apologetically.

"It's fine…" Danny muttered. "I'm almost at the next cloud and no more memories have appeared, thank Go—"

He found himself interrupted as the cloud he was supposed to enter appeared in front of him suddenly, a familiar scene playing out within is greenish depths.

"Well, at least we have all summer together," the girl on the bed said.

"And we're going to spend it doing all the things we love. Walking the beach, exploring the creepy buildings around town, and buying new records of course!"

Danny couldn't believe it. But then again, maybe he could. The one cloud he was supposed to find, and of course it chose this scene to throw him off.

"I don't know Danny, I mean nothing will ever beat that Elvis record we found last week!" Sarah said with a small smile as she reached over to her player.

Soon the tune of "Can't Help Falling in Love" began to fill the air.

They both looked at each other as they recognized the song, the words flooding their brains.

The words flooded Danny's present brain as well, as memories of what could have been came back to him.

"DANNY! Whatever it is, fight it and go into the cloud!" Tucker yelled again.

"I just left her. Never told her how I felt," he whispered.

"Danny, please son, it's just an illusion. You need to keep moving," Maddie's calm voice came through.

"Think of Sam!" Jack added

"Sarah… Sam! Of course. This is the past. I can't change it. But the future, Sam, needs me now."

He touched the scene in front of him with his hand and it disappeared in a puff of green smoke as he floated forward.

* * *

"Well that was close. I wonder what he saw in there?" Tucker asked as he turned to the other two.

"I can only imagine, dear. But as someone who has spent a lot of time trying to undo the past, I can bet it wasn't a happy sight." Jack added, calmer than usual.

"But how? I mean, we know that ghost realms are weird, but this is just… _too weird._ I never thought we'd encounter time travel, let alone the ability to organically recall memories and project them into reality," Maddie pondered.

"Remember when I brought you on this journey? When I first introduced you to all of my ghost theories?" Jack asked.

"Well of course, I thought you were crazy!"

"But I won you over! And now look! Anything is possible. So don't doubt it, just go with it," Jack finished with a smile.

"Speaking of going with it, the screen changed again, and this one is pretty crazy."

* * *

"So, you're looking for my 'M' here, right? I know I can't see these numbers, but hopefully what you see isn't this confusing." Danny asked as he gazed around his current location. It was dark again but instead of large, hazy clouds, this time there were just millions upon millions of small ecotplasmic orbs floating around him.

"What do you see Danny?" Maddie's voice came in.

"A lot of glowing green masses, scattered pretty much everywhere. It's going to be really hard not to touch any of these and mess all this up,"

"I think you can touch a few, because lots of small dots aren't showing up on our screen, just larger masses of clouds. I bet that when certain ones get close enough, they make up these clouds."

' _How has Tucker not graduated from MIT yet?'_ Danny found himself wondering.

"As for the 'M', it's pretty far on our screen. Top right to be specific. That's not going to do you any good though. Hold on." Tucker paused, and a quiet counting could be heard.

"4 right, 5 up."

"Right?"

"Right, as in in front of you. Sorry."

Danny closed his eyes again, pictured his destination, then opened his eyes and floated forward, trying hard to avoid as many of the blobs of ectoplasm as possible.

' _I really don't want to know what will happen when I touch these,'_ he thought as he floated past a large mass.

"I think you're right, guys. There are quite a few larger masses here. Those must be the 'clouds'."

As if answering his question, Danny's distraction led him to float straight through a stray bit. He lurched back as it popped on contact, a small green cloud forming in its place.

But it wasn't just a green cloud; it was another clip in time, like those before, but this time the scene was fresh in his memories already.

Sam was standing on the edge of a ledge, dressed in a fancy black dress and looking down at the ground.

"Sam…" he said out loud.

"What about her?" Tucker asked, hearing his friend's name.

Danny watched as she lifted one foot off the ledge, full knowing where this was going and who was about to swoop in and save her.

"Sam… Don't worry. I'll save you. Just don't jump. Please," he said quietly.

Not quietly enough, as Maddie now found a chance to add, "Danny, focus. What are you seeing?"

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head as Sam's second foot left the ledge.

"It's when…she…almost…and I…saved…"

Danny looked back up, but to his surprise he did not see himself saving her. Instead he saw two figures sat on a doorstep, each with ice cream in their hands. His eyes got big as he realized one of those figures was Sam, her usual self. Alive. Looking closer, he had to blink.

It was him. But not the current him. A fully human version of himself. The him he had always known. How?

Looking away, he began to float forward.

"Danny, please say something. What did you see?" Maddie's voice was shaking.

Putting the first clip out of his mind, he responded the best he could.

"It was me and Sam. But it wasn't me. It was _human_ me. But I've never been fully human-looking with her."

"Well that's odd!" Jack boomed.

"Maybe not dear, maybe not," Maddie added. "Perhaps this is a sign? Maybe you'll keep changing? Maybe it's from the… future?"

Danny stopped, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

' _The future? Is it possible that I have a future as a… human?'_

"Danny, this is messing you up, but you have to keep going. You're so close, and you clearly need answers now more than ever," Tucker said.

"Right… Moving on…" Danny said in a daze as he began floating again.

"Ok, four over. Now five up?" He looked up to see more orbs all around.

"Yup."

"I got this," he breathed as he began moving in that direction.

But he stopped again as his head hit another stray orb, popping it open to reveal another cloud. He wanted to keep moving, he really did, but something drew him in.

He and Sam had clearly aged at this point; both of them were standing hand in hand in front of a stone. Not just any stone: a tombstone. With Sarah's name on it.

Despite being in his full ghost form, he felt a tear coming on and reached his hand up to his face, only to remember he was also in a full body suit.

' _Keep moving Danny. Look away. Keep moving.'_

He willed his body to float up, avoiding every single orb he could until he finally came to the cloud Tucker had mentioned.

But even before touching it, he found himself staring into moving images of what he presumed to be his future, most of which looked like they'd happen soon based on the age of the figures involved.

"Guys, I found it. But it's full of images. I'm scared to even try moving closer."

Tucker's voice crackled in, almost as if it was getting harder to stay connected.

"The screen…. Shows… Exploding… POP."

"Say that again?"

"Touch… POP…."

' _Damn, I hope this works."_

Danny reached out a finger to the largest image – him and Sam at the record store – and touched it. Ecotplasm exploded all around him and he heard nothing but static on the other end of his coms as his world was surrounded in black.

* * *

_The world outside the castle was black as Clockwork and Danny floated beyond the doors. Even though Clockwork had reassured him that he would be safe if he kept the medallion on, Danny made sure to stay as close to his guide as possible._

" _Normal ghosts who try and find me tend to struggle with my memory puzzles," Clockwork explained. "They always get distracted by hints at their past and future as a ghost."_

_Danny shivered, afraid of what hints Clockwork could mean._

" _But those who really need me, and those I summon, know their way around my tricks."_

" _Because they have this?" Danny asked, pointing to the item around his neck._

" _Usually, yes. It acts as a beacon, allowing the wearer to bypass my games. But sometimes, if I call for someone, I just turn it off and allow them in."_

'And sometimes I wish I had never given a medallion to anyone in the first place, like those stupid observants,' _he added in his head._

" _I won't show you all of my traps today. Instead, I'll show you the easy way out." Turning into the oldest version of himself, he reached out his hand to take Danny's. The two of them floated to a nearby cog, and Danny watched in amazement as Clockwork tapped on one of its notches with his staff, allowing a glowing light to appear from the inside._

" _We're going in there?"_

" _This cog responds only to me. Allowing me to choose where it will open. And today, it is opening right outside the entrance to the Fenton Portal. I will go with you through this gate, but once we reach the portal, you are on your own."_

_Clockwork smiled again as he pulled Danny closer._

" _Do not fear. As I said, that medallion will protect you."_

_Danny gulped as he allowed his ghostly leader to pull him through._

_They emerged in a world of dark purple and green, lots of floating doors and swirling clouds surrounding them. Danny turned around to see that the cog they had just come through had transformed into a door itself, ornate with clock motifs._

_Reaching out, Clockwork took the medallion off Danny's neck. Seeing the confusion in the boy's face, he added, "They only work in my realm. After that, they're useless."_

'Or so he'll think…'

_He watched as Danny looked around, more confusion and awe on his face._

" _And never mind these other doors, they're not important. What matters is right ahead."_

_Clockwork motioned forward, to where a large green swirl was floating in the open._

" _The portal?" Danny asked._

" _Exactly. You see, these doors, they lead to other realms in our world. But only a swirling light like that leads to the human world."_

" _Does that mean… it's time?" Danny asked hesitantly, not sure if he was truly ready for his mission, despite all the training and pep talks._

" _In fact, it does. And this, my boy, is where I must leave you. I trust that you will do as I instructed?"_

_Danny looked up at Clockwork and saw for the first time a hint of remorse in his face. Was he really sad to be seeing Danny go?_

" _Yes. Open the portal. Keep an eye on the Fentons. Watch over the city. But when will I know to return?"_

" _That is something that has yet to show itself to me, but I believe when the time is right, you will know."_

_Clockwork floated back a bit, allowing Danny to float closer to the opening._

" _Are you sure this is safe?" Danny turned to ask one last time as he got closer._

" _I've researched and watched as much as I could, and I believe you will be fine…." He hesitated._

" _But?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms, refusing to move until he heard the rest._

" _But you have become more important to me than I'd foreseen, and in order to fulfill what you are destined for I must leave you with one last warning." His voice, while trying to sound sincere, came off as more desperate "You can never tell with human technology. I believe the worst that will happen is a small amount of memory loss. Given what little you recall already, that won't be an issue though." Clockwork became young again as he floated backwards towards his door._

" _Memory loss! Now you tell me!" Danny shouted, but got no response as his ghostly mentor disappeared._

" _Good luck, son."_

" _Memory loss. Confusion. Not knowing where the hell I'm going! What if I just stay here? Huh? Huh? What will really happen if I DON'T open that portal?"_

_As if answering, he heard a loud roar and saw a large blue dragon heading right at him. Panicked, he realized that he had no way to defend himself in this world._

" _But out there, well, at least there won't be dragons!"_

_Turning one last time to look at the ghost headed his way, he gulped and flew into the green abyss._


	29. Chapter 28

" _One. More. Just One. More."_

_The ghost as paced his realm, trying to be patient as he waited for his hire to return._

" _I've spent ages tracking down the locations of those ingredients, the least he could do is return sooner," he said through gritted teeth as he glanced over at the table behind him._

_Sitting on top were several beakers, a few containing varying solutions, as well as some pretty grotesque items._

_The biggest vial, at least 5 gallons, was currently half full of a bright green solution, a slight glow emitting from it._

" _I just need that last element and then it will be ready."_

_As if in answer, the door behind him suddenly flung open, and a ghost in a metal body suit wearing a medallion flew in._

" _I swear if you EVER send me to get ANYTHING again, I am going to blast you so hard that you'll have your own plot in that graveyard of yours!"_

_Looking up and down at his visitor, Clockwork noticed a few burn marks and scratches on the ghost's suit._

" _Well, hello to you too Skulker." He grinned._

" _Hmph…" Was all he armored ghost could say as he dropped a bag to the ground and kicked it towards Clockwork._

" _Just take it and pay me already."_

_Clockwork floated forward and grabbed the bag, opening it up to look inside as it wiggled a bit._

" _I take it Pandora's realm as a little bit harder to get through than we thought?" he said , trying to keep the tone light. "You'd think the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter would be able to handle a few demons."_

" _Demons? Yes. Fire breathing, 3 headed dogs? No." He crossed his arms. "Now about my pay."_

" _Aww, yes, that." Clockwork waved his staff and another bag appeared in front of his visitor._

" _Finally!"_

_Skulker turned to leave, but Clockwork stopped him one last time._

" _Hold up. I think you have something of mine." He floated over to the ghost and reached for the medallion around his neck. "Our business is through, and I wouldn't want this landing in the wrong hands…" He grinned as he pulled it away._

_Skulker laughed. "I was hoping you'd forget!"_

" _Just be happy you're still standing Skulker." Clockwork smirked as he aged up._

_With that, Skulker flew out of his realm, the door slamming behind him as he murmured to himself._

" _You'd think collecting hundreds of these things would give a guy a little more freedom to come and go… Can't even tell me what they're for…"_

_Clockwork turned and floated back to the table, where he emptied the contents of the bag into a small glass case._

" _Now, what to do with you?" he asked, watching the small bat-like creature trying to escape its box._

* * *

The largest screen was illuminated with a map, a single red dot blinking in the center.

' _Well, Daniel, I see you made it through my first challenge, but the rest will be much harder.'_

He turned quickly as he heard his guest stirring behind him. Not wanting the girl to know about his secret map, he quickly let the screen turn blank.

"Wha…?" Sam asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"My dear, you were tired again, so I was letting you rest…" Clockwork began.

Sam looked up at him, only to find her tired eyes growing large as she looked at the screen behind him.

Clockwork noticed this change and turned himself, his own eyes glowing in confusion.

' _I swear I turned that off!'_

Danny and Sarah were standing in an aisle of the record store, the racks of CDs Sam was used to instead containing vinyl records in sleeves with large colorful labels. All along the walls were record players emitting various tunes for the whole shop to hear.

Danny was holding one in his hands, and Sarah looked over his shoulder. Both let out a small giggle as they read the song list.

After a moment, Sam finally spoke. "I knew Danny loved that store, but I never realized the connection it held to Grandma."

Trying to keep the confusion over his screen's sudden change, Clockwork responded with the best answer he could come up with: "My dear, in all the scenes I found of Danny and your grandmother, the record store was always a common location."

' _Whew.'_

"And here I was, making fun of his Elvis obsession…" she said quietly, her eyes darting to the ground.

The ghost in front of her began to forget his frustrations with the screens as he felt the girl's energy begin to change. He flew closer to her, aging himself into his oldest form in the process. She didn't even flinch as he did so.

"The record store means a lot to you as well?" he asked, trying to sound like he cared.

She looked up in shock; was it possible her captor was showing some compassion?

"I didn't… say…"

"You didn't have to. By now, I can read your emotions. And sense your feelings."

She jumped up at this, startling the ghost beside her.

"What ELSE can you do?!" she demanded.

"Girl. Please. Calm down. You of all people should know by now that my powers are almost limitless," he said as he forced her into her.

* * *

_Clockwork looked up from his book and over to the large container in front of him._

" _All that reading. All that hunting. All that mixing. And finally, FINALLY, I have a solution!"_

_The solution in the container had turned from green to a bright blue, having been mixed with the essences from the final ingredient._

" _Finally."_

_He aged himself down as he took a small vial and filled it with the blue solution. Floating over to the large holding tank , he opened the door and poured the solution into an open tube. Smiling, he flew back to the table and grabbed the large container before quickly disappearing._

* * *

" _Daniel Fenton. I have been watching your grave for years now, waiting for the perfect moment to present itself. Collecting ingredients and researching myths. And now, here I am, standing before you, ready for the prophecy to unfold."_

_Floating above the grave, he held his glowing blue solution with a small smile. Without hesitation, he tipped the container and watched the thick contents spill out onto the stone._

_His eyes got big as he watched the stone suck up the liquid like a sponge, taking in every last drop as the stone began to glow as blue as the solution. The writing on the front quickly began to shuffle and rearrange, only to eventually disappear completely as the glowing began to fade._

" _They may not understand now, but soon, things will change. And you, Daniel, are exactly what I need to make that change." He grinned as he disappeared again._

* * *

_His realm was filled with blue light as he reappeared in the main chamber. Adjusting to the change in light, he quickly turned to his tank, only to find it was filled with a dense, blue fog._

" _Perfect."_

_He floated closer, trying to see through the thickness. Beyond the fog, a body was starting to form._

" _And now, to check on the girl…"_

_He turned away from the tank and changed his focus to the large screen on his back wall. It quickly lit up to reveal a girl, dressed in a fancy black dress, standing on the edge of a rooftop._

" _If only I could figure out why I never see more!" he said, frustrated._

_Despite his recent success with the boy, he was still struggling with the girl. As hard as he tried, he had yet to see anything on his screens taking place immediately after the timestamp on this scene. He knew there had to be something, for he had seen many images from 2019. But for one reason or another, there were many moments he knew must come between._

" _How will they meet? How will they work together? How will they become…" He hissed as he tried once again to will his screen forward, only to have it jump to the all familiar ice cream scene._

" _It's like time doesn't want me to know these things…"_

* * *

"Dude. Stop controlling me. Seriously," Sam demanded as she sat in her chair, unable to get up.

"When you stop poking around where you don't belong," Clockwork smirked back.

"I didn't POKE INTO anything, I was just freaked out by your powers, which for the record you used on me AGAIN!"

"Well, this is my realm, and I can do whatever I please. Remember, you are here for one purpose only."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow at this.

"Because I was questioning things too much? Because I'm pivotal to Danny's destiny? Did you forget that you've told me all these things already?"

' _Indeed I have. Smart girl…'_

"You know what you haven't told me? What will really happen when I remove this stupid medallion," Sam said through gritted teeth as her hand moved to her neck. Clockwork's eyes got big at this, causing him to lose his mental grip on her.

"Trust me, Samantha, you do NOT want to take that off."

"Oh yea!? Why? I'll fall through the floor again? If it's between that and being stuck here, I think I'll take my chances." Her hand began to lift the trinket over her neck.

"STOP!" Clockwork demanded, using every last ounce of power to keep her from removing it any further.

"DUDE!"

Sam glared at her captor, unable to move her hand.

"You cannot tell me that out there is any worse than in here."

"That… may be true…" he contemplated out loud, "but at least in here, with my power over your necklace, you are able to _breathe_."

Sam stopped of her own accord this time, comprehension slowly showing on her face.

"Wait? Humans can't breathe in the Ghost Zone?"

"Exactly."

"So this whole time, if didn't have…" His grip had loosened and she looked down at the medallion, "I wouldn't be able to… breathe?"

"You're welcome," he said sarcastically.

"Mind explaining what else humans CAN'T DO here?"

"Hmph, my dear. If I felt like handing out that kind of information, I would have told you sooner," he said with a chuckle as he aged down to a child.

"So there ISSSSS more," She said slyly, a small smile on her face.

Clockwork blushed as he backed away a bit, looking at the ceiling.

' _She's got you now…'_

"Well, I… I mean…"

"Please, continue," the girl went on.

Clockwork found himself trapped, almost as if the hold he had been using on her was suddenly reversed. Could she really have that effect on him? This girl had always been a mystery, but was it possible that he was losing his touch? What could happen if those powers he had were somehow taken away?

' _Think. You've been alive for eons, find a way to talk yourself out of this…'_

' _She's got you in a corner, Clockwork, you need to just tell her the truth. The WHOLE truth, about the Ghost Zone.'_

' _And risk unraveling the future? I don't think so! I have come too far to lose to this child!'_

' _But this child is the key. Maybe telling her will lead to an answer.'_

' _Or your defeat!'_

' _My defeat!?'_

"STOP!"

It was Sam's voice that pulled him back to his realm, for he had backed himself into a corner and was shivering uncontrollably.

"Just. STOP!" she said again as she stood up. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but the answers are not worth watching you freak out!"

He looked from her to his shaking hands and back at her.

"Samantha, I… should probably explain," he said quietly.

' _She's giving you an out; take it!'_

"I don't want to know. So just… don't"

She turned and stomped off towards the back of his castle leaving him there to sort out what he had just done.

' _What am I letting myself become?'_

* * *

_It seemed like years as Clockwork searched his screens, constantly glancing behind him as the blue fog faded in the tank, only to see a humanoid form slowly taking shape. For a ghost who was used to speeding up and slowing down time, waiting on it was something he found tedious._

'I have been trying to get this thing to cooperate for too long! That dance, it must be important. But why won't it show me more! If only I could speed time up a bit, just to forget about this and move onto the boy's return.' _he found himself thinking on multiple occasions, only to decide that it wasn't worth the risk._

_Finally, as if answering his thoughts, the screen crackled and changed. The scenes began to switch, but not at his normal command. Instead, it was as if someone had hit the fast-forward button and he had no way of stopping it._

'What the—?'

_His eyes darted as he caught blurs of black and white, purple and green. Heard snippets of voices, some he recognized and some he didn't, but no conversation he had ever heard._

_Finally, it stopped. Back on his 'favorite' scene with the ice cream. Frustrated, he willed his screen to turn itself off, only to notice no more blue in the reflection coming from behind him._

_He turned. The fog was gone, and in its place was a very human form of what looked like an 18-year-old boy._

_Clockwork slowly flew over to the tank, a bit of skepticism in his face, and looked in._

_The boy blinked back, and Clockwork jolted backwards._

_Coming to his senses, he flew back over and opened the door, allowing the boy to fall forward onto the ground, waiting to see if he would fall through._

'I've got a medallion ready boy.'

But he didn't need it. Instead of sinking through, the boy just landed on the ghostly ground as Clockwork took a better look. _He was on his knees, head facing down at the ground with hair hanging in his face. White hair._

" _I've done it. At last, I have finally found an answer."_

_The boy looked up, green eyes wide with confusion._

'But… isn't he supposed to be? Black hair? Blue Eyes?' _Clockwork found himself confused as he shifted from young to old._ 'The boy the girl loves, he's not like this…'

_The boy lurched back, afraid of the figure's touch._

" _Don't worry son, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help." The young figure spoke with compassion in his voice._

'I need to figure out why this didn't work. Why he isn't… human.'

" _What? Where? Who?" was all the boy could say in response._

_Trying to remain calm—after all someone had to answer questions—Clockwork looked down at the boy again._

" _Of course, you're confused. You've only been back for a few hours now. Your mind hasn't fully returned yet. I should have known that would be a side effect of resurrection."_

" _Resurrection?"_

_Confusion spread across the boy's face as Clockwork tried to hide his own._

'Maybe I opened the door too soon? Or didn't add the ingredients in the right order?'

_But instead of saying these things out loud, he simply answered, "Of course. You, Daniel, are the first soul I've ever been able to retrieve from death."_

" _Death? You mean, I…?'_

" _Died, yes. But I've brought you back." The figure smiled._

'Or at least part of you.'

" _Back to where?"_

" _I believe the humans call it 'The Ghost Zone,'" he answered with amusement, "but this part, my home, is the Island of Lost Time."_

* * *

Clockwork was staring at his screen, thinking about all he had learned since that fateful day, finally beginning to understand why those memories had gone by so fast, when Sam decided to return .

"My dear, I am sorry for any pain I may have caused you earlier," he said as she came up behind him, choosing to continue looking at the screen instead of turning around.

"Now you apologize," Sam said under her breath.

"I heard that, you know." He smiled.

She didn't respond as she looked at his screen; another scene of Danny and Sarah playing out.

"Why do you choose to watch so many of these? Doesn't it get old?"

"Trust me, when you've been around as long as I have, there is always something new to learn," Clockwork responded, emotionless.

' _All those scenes with you, they were new to me too.'_

"Still, knowing you've been watching our lives for so long, controlling our actions, it kinda makes me feel… violated," Sam said as she came forward to stand in front of him.

"Have you ever stopped to realize how wrong it is to do that?"

' _Recently? More often than you'd believe.'_

"I look at it more as research. Trying to find the answers to the future." He tried to stay emotionless but wavered a bit.

"Well, I think you need to start researching something else!" Sam said loudly, stomping her foot to get his attention away from his screen.

He finally looked at her, seeing her violet eyes full of anger again.

"You cannot begin to understand," he said, raising his voice.

"Again with that! How can I not understand something you won't even tell me!"

As if answering her question, the screen behind her suddenly turned to fuzz, startling both the girl and her captor. She turned to look at him, only to see utter confusion on his face. Rattled himself, he responded under his breath, "I didn't do that."

They both turned to the other screens, which had also turned to static, confusion drawing even stronger in their faces. Sam was the first to respond this time.

"Did it just get warmer in here?"

Clockwork couldn't answer as he found himself suddenly becoming old again.

' _What? I didn't choose to change!'_

He looked back at the girl, who was looking around the room skeptically, before turning back to the screen just in time to see it spark.

' _What is happening?'_

He found himself aging down against his will once more, and with this knew that something odd was happening.

"What...?" was all that Sam could say before Clockwork raised his staff.

"Time Out!"

The world around him froze, allowing the ghost to have a little time and space to himself.

"What is happening? Why can't I control my screens? Why can't I change? It's almost like before, when I heard…"

"I don't know about what you've heard before, or what you've seen, but I am willing to bet it has something to do with me."

Clockwork's red eyes got huge as a familiar figure entered his realm, clad in a body suit and glowing green with energy.

Clockwork found himself too shocked to move for a brief moment, before finally responding in the most self-assured voice he could muster.

"Ahhhh… Daniel… It's about time you showed up."


	30. Chapter 29

"ABOUT TIME! That's all you can say after putting me through all of your stupid traps?!"

Danny was furious and had every right to be. After experiencing memories of both his past and future, he wanted answers.

"Ahhh. I see you and your group found my message."

"Message? That's what you call it?"

"Something like that. You see, each time a ghost tries to enter my realm without one of my medallions, they tend to get a bit… lost. But we've had this conversation before."

"We have?" Danny asked, confusion on his face as he floated towards what passed for ground in Clockwork's hazy realm.

"Yes, when I first took you to the portal. Don't you…" Clockwork's eyes went wide again as he realized something he hadn't before.

"You don't remember your time with me, do you?"

' _That explains why he was so confused during his early days out there…'_

Danny stared at the ghost in front of him, anger still plain on his face.

"Not much more than the memories YOU'VE been feeding me, no."

Clockwork lurched back at this, almost as if offended by the boy's accusations.

"Huh. That's strange. I knew you'd forget a few things when you went through, but to forget even the things we had discussed so recently… well that's something even I couldn't predict."

Danny kept looking at the ghost in front of him, his green eyes glowing in frustration.

"I could care less about the things we discussed, what I want to know is WHY you kept my memories from me!"

Clockwork's frustration vanished slightly as he chuckled at this comment.

"My boy, I did not keep memories from you! I simply returned the memories you lost during resurrection."

' _He truly remembers nothing about his return? The things I told him?'_

"Yea, when it was most convenient for you…"

Danny was starting to soften up a bit, and he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"When I returned them is beside the point. Shouldn't we be discussing the real reason you're here?" Clockwork asked, trying to change the subject as he glanced at the frozen girl behind him

Danny followed the ghost's gaze as his own eyes grew wider.

"Sam! What did you do! Why is she still?"

Clockwork chuckled again.

"Don't worry Daniel, she's just in Time Out. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't affect you either."

' _Why didn't it affect him?'_

"Time out?"

"Yes. It's something I can do when I need to stop time, allow myself to think things through. Get people out of my way for a bit."

"But somehow… I'm… immune?"

"Your powers amaze me Daniel. Every day you grow stronger, and yet every day you also grow more human. There really is no limit to what you can do. And while I pride myself on being the Master of Time, even I cannot see what you will do next."

"But you have an idea, don't you? You've had ideas since you resurrected me. You knew I'd be more than just someone to open that portal."

Danny could feel his whole suit glowing brighter with energy as he floated closer to Clockwork, almost backing him into a wall.

"Danny!?"

They both stopped and looked over to see Sam standing up, her purple eyes wide with surprise.

* * *

' _How is the girl awake? I didn't even Time In yet!'_

Clockwork was confused as he watched Sam approach the two of them, unsure what to think.

' _Is it possible Danny's powers override my own?'_

' _But why would they? It's not like I'm….'_

' _He was awake when you clearly timed out.'_

' _That doesn't mean….'_

' _He made it through your time traps faster than expected…'_

' _Still…'_

' _Even as he becomes more human, his powers gain strength…'_

' _Could it be?'_

"STOP!" he found himself yelling out loud, gaining confused looks from both Danny and Sam who had just finished embracing each other during Clockwork's inner crisis.

Clockwork shook his head, trying to get his mind clean.

"My girl… I'm sorry. I just had a moment. You scared me is all. You see, I had you frozen in time, and yet now you're awake and it was not my doing."

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked at Danny again.

"It seems your boyfriend is more powerful than I initially thought," Clockwork continued.

' _We need to weaken him…'_

"Who are you calling powerful? You're the one that froze me!" Sam said in frustration. "You're the one who has been controlling me the whole time I've been here. Telling me things, trying to get me on your side. Pushing me to listen to you. Well guess what! Danny's back and I'm done!"

She crossed her arms and looked back at her boyfriend, who in turn looked at the ghost before them.

"You've been controlling her too? How long? Longer than she's been here? Who else have you manipulated?" Danny's eyes grew intense with these words.

Clockwork grew young as he listened to Danny, a bit of fear once again creeping up into him, though he tried to hide it with a smile.

"Heh. Samantha? I've only done what was necessary at the time, and I've never once touched her outside my realm."

"But you've touched me. You've fed me memories, led me to believe things."

Clockwork sighed, realizing there was no avoiding that subject as it came back around.

"Yes."

"So all those returning memories, they were all from you?"

"You really believe that that I've been watching you that closely?"

' _I have, but he doesn't need to know that.'_

"My boy, I have fed you memories when you needed them most. But many memories have returned to you on your own and to my surprise."

"How can I even be sure?" Danny asked, glaring.

"You can't. But you have to trust me. I've only interfered when it was needed."

"But what about Danny's powers?"

Clockwork turned to Sam, his eyes softening a bit as he aged himself to his oldest form.

"His powers are strictly his own. They have nothing to do with anything I have done."

"But you told me…"

"What I told you was the truth. His powers, his ability to change into a human… It's all linked to your love."

Ddd

' _Love? That's what's making me change?'_ Danny found himself thinking as he listened in.

' _What else has he told her? And can I believe it?'_

He was unsure what to believe at this point, but he knew that there must have been some discussion in the time Sam had spent alone with Clockwork.

"Love," Danny said quietly, but not quietly enough that Sam didn't hear him.

"Danny, I…" she started.

"Love. That's what started all of this. Fifty years ago. When I went into that shop. It was love. Love that drew me in."

He looked at Sam, who had concern in her eyes as he continued to talk.

"Love made me do it. My love for Sarah… it killed me. And then…" He stopped. Something was different. Sam. She wasn't herself. At some point during his monologue she had begun to change.

"Sarah?"

"Danny, what are you talking about?" She asked, confusion growing.

Sam had been standing in front of him, but now it wasn't Sam. Or at least, it didn't look like the Sam he knew. Her hair had gotten longer, her outfit had changed to one from the fifties, even when she spoke, it sounded like…

"Sarah?"

"Danny, stop. It's me, Sam."

"No. It's not… Sarah?"

He closed his eyes, trying to make sense of what was in front of him.

' _It can't be her. It's an illusion. Clockwork's realm is messing with your head. You need to stop. Breathe.'_

He opened his eyes, and in front of him once more was the Sam he knew. He let out a deep sigh at this.

"Sam."

"Who else would I be?" she asked.

"It's just, for a moment you looked like…"

"Sarah?"

It was Clockwork who interrupted this time, another smirk on his face.

"I was afraid this would happen. Your memories. In my realm they're magnified, and with that suit they're sure to be even stronger. One little thought of the past and it becomes real."

Danny looked back at Sam, trying to focus, but Clockwork was right: she had begun to look like young Sarah again.

"And only I can see it?" he questioned.

"After all, they are your memories."

' _How do I make this stop?'_

Danny shut his eyes again, trying to focus on what he had been thinking before.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he was able to put his thoughts into words.

"My love for Sarah is what killed me, but my love for Sam, it's what's making me human?"

"Remember boy. You were full ghost until you discovered her, SAVED HER. And then… you started feeling emotions. Became hungry, tired, warm even. Your eyes turned blue and your hair black. And it's only when she's in trouble that you are able to control it." Danny closed his eyes and turned his head to the ground, trying to take it all in. He wanted to believe it; after all, they had said it before. So why now was it different? Why was he having second thoughts?

' _I just wish I had some say in all this. I feel like everyone else is choosing my fate for me.'_

He looked up to see his 'hallucination' of Sarah once again turned back into the girl from the present.

"Danny, I know it's a lot to take in," she hesitated.

"Sam, you know I care for you… and I'd do anything for you…"

* * *

Clockwork watched as Danny wrestled with his mind, trying to make sense of the truth he had finally come to learn.

' _I really thought you would have figured that out sooner.'_

"You know, you could think clearer if you took off that annoying power suit. It's not helping you here anyway."

Danny had been gazing at Sam, trying to figure out his emotions, but with these words he furrowed his brow and looked at Clockwork.

"Why does it even matter?" he replied.

"That suit, it was designed to magnify your powers, correct?"

Danny nodded.

"Precisely. Well in here, things work a little differently, affect each other a little differently. And I can sense that the suit is magnifying it all. I really think you would benefit emotionally from being free of it."

' _And that would help me regain a bit of control.'_

As much as Danny hated to agree with Clockwork, he had to admit that the amplified nature of his surroundings was not helping him.

"This doesn't mean I trust you," he said as he turned intangible and let the suit fall off. To Clockwork's surprise, it did not fall through the floor like normal human objects: instead it landed safely.

' _I need to keep a closer eye on the Fentons and their technology…'_

But before Clockwork could think that through any further, he heard a gasp from the girl and looked back to Danny.

Clockwork and Sam watched as Danny's body transformed. His white hair faded to black, his green eyes turned blue. Remarkably, though, he stayed floating, the bits of ghost DNA in him keeping him safe. "Danny?" Sam asked, confused as Danny stood up.

Danny turned from Sam's confused face, to Clockwork, who looked just as confused.

"You knew that would happen if I took off the suit?" he questioned with lowered eyebrows.

' _I knew it would weaken him, but make him return to human? I thought their love was stronger than that here.'_

' _Perfect! The opportunity to win him over! He's vulnerable, questioning his emotions.'_

"If you would stop for a moment and think, maybe, just maybe you would realize that I am not completely against you!" Clockwork replied, as he returned from his thoughts with some anger showing in his voice.

' _Stop. Think. Don't make him any more mad at you then he already is. Keep him vulnerable.'_

Clockwork closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing in a calmer manner.

' _Win him over Clockwork.'_

"I had no way of knowing you would change back, as this isn't normal. None of this is. No one has ever seen a ghost that can change forms. In fact, when I resurrected you, I was surprised to even see you as a ghost. I expected you would be fully human."

Clockwork had never revealed this to anyone, but was beginning to realize he needed to be a little more transparent if the boy would ever do what was needed.

"Hold on!" Sam chimed in, reminding the group that she was still there. "You just said his powers were fueled by our love, but now you're saying you don't understand what's happening?"

"I always knew Daniel's destiny was connected to you, that is true. But it wasn't until I resurrected him and watched things play out that I realized his powers, the ability to change forms, must also be linked to you and how he feels about you at any given moment."

Sam and Danny exchanged glances at this, trying to decide if they could truly trust the ghost before them.

"As I said before, the moments his emotions are high – for example when are in trouble," he pointed his staff to Sam, "he is able to summon his ghostly half. But when he finds himself questioning things, or remembering his past – well that's when the human emerges."

Danny looked again to Clockwork, who had aged again as he spoke.

"So, I really have no control over which form I take?" he asked, coming a little closer to their ghostly host.

' _What can I say to make him believe me?'_

"Right now, that is correct," the ghost replied, looking Danny directly in the eyes and causing him to shiver. "But soon, you will gain control over both forms, even without her help."

He gazed into Danny's blue eyes a second longer before turning away towards his screens. Holding up his staff, he allowed the largest to come on and show the one scene he had memorized.

"That scene! I saw it in your traps, the ones from the future. Why… Now?" Danny asked, floating closer to Clockwork as he watched the ice cream event play out.

"Because that scene is the one that started all this," Sam answered, also coming forward.

' _Ahh, she learned something."_

"The girl is right. This is the scene that made me realize your fate. The moment I discovered you in two separate timelines and knew you must be important," Clockwork replied never taking his eyes off the screens.

"I have not been able to see every moment that has come before it until it occurred to you in real time. That has never happened before, so naturally at first I could not understand why. But as I learned after your resurrection, it is because of your powers."

"My powers?"

"Yes, boy. You see, when I brought you back, you were a full ghost. I had expected you to be human, as I had witnessed in this scene. Imagine my surprise when you weren't."

"You find a way to finally control resurrections, finally bring people back, and it's not what you expect! You couldn't just be happy it worked?" Danny asked, angrily.

Clockwork glared back at the boy, using every ounce of self control to keep himself from sending Danny flying across the room

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO BRING YOU BACK!" he blared, unable to keep his voice down. "I worked for eons to figure it all out. I had everything right! And now you're floating here, telling me to be happy with my mistake?"

He couldn't do it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep himself from allowing his powers to take control. He held his staff in front of him, the orb at the top emitting a vibrant green glow.

Without another word, Danny suddenly felt himself losing control as he flew backwards across the room, landing against the wall and falling to the ground in pain, a bit of green blood trickling down his forehead.

Sam began to run to Danny but found herself unable to go far as Clockwork raised his staff in anger.

"Let him lay. Let him think. Let him realize that I am right!" the ghost yelled as Sam was forced to return to her previous spot.

Danny slowly stood up as he heard Clockwork's angry voice yelling at Sam. He could feel energy pulsing through his body as he stepped back towards the ghost. But as hard as he tried, he could not bring himself to fully return to his ghost form.

Sensing the struggle the boy was having, Clockwork let out a laugh.

"You think that one burst of anger can bring back your ghost powers? When will you learn that there is so much more to this?"

But even as he watched, Clockwork found himself regretting his recent decisions.

' _Why can't you just tell the boy the truth. Let him gain control and fulfill his destiny.'_

' _His destiny? I still don't even fully know what that means. The book has never once said a thing about WHAT that darkness could be…'_

' _What if it's…?'_

He couldn't finish his thoughts as he found himself pinned against the wall, green eyes glaring down at him.

* * *

"I may not have my powers, but I still have my strength! And I am done listening to you ramble about destiny. Either you tell me what's going on or I find someone who can!"

Danny had been able to take advantage of Clockwork's moment of mental confusion and had lunged forward, pinning his adversary into the corner. After a moment with no response he decided to let the ghost go and lifted himself up off the ground. As he did he felt a clunk against his chest and looked down to see the amulet still hung on his neck.

' _Of course! That amulet. The dragon! But why isn't it helping me return my powers?'_

Danny reached his hand to the amulet and looked at it closer, trying to see if there was anything new he could learn from it. But sadly nothing had changed since the last time he had examined it.

"This amulet. It has somehow been storing my energy, my power. Helping me gain control."

"Precisely." Clockwork said quietly as he raised himself off the ground, his emotions calming after the brief confrontation.

"And yet, it doesn't always work."

"Working is not the correct term, boy. Let's just say, it KNOWS when it's needed, just as it knew when it was needed with the girl," the ghost replied, exasperated.

"The girl?" Danny asked, looking down at it again. "The dragon?"

"What did you think? That it was just another necklace? Ha!" Clockwork allowed himself to age down at this.

"So, it's like everything else, linked to my emotions? My emotions are clearly high right now, so why isn't the stupid thing working?" Danny asked, raising it up as if to take it off.

"Danny! Stop!" Sam yelled, finding Clockwork's power over her diminished as he ran towards him.

"He… he told me once. That humans can't… survive long here. And that amulet, it may be all that's keeping you alive!"

Danny froze, unable to completely take in what she had just said.

' _He told you that Sam?'_

"That amulet, when it was with the girl. It represented her lost love and the painful memories it held," she continued, much to Danny and Clockwork's surprise.

"And now that you've removed it, you've rid her of that pain and linked it to us instead."

"Sam, how did you…" Danny began, then looked to Clockwork, who had resumed his normal stature, and nodded his head as if to say he was the one who told her.

"Danny. It's linked to your destiny, whatever that may be," she finished, taking another step closer to her boyfriend and holding out her hand.

At her touch Danny felt a jolt of energy once again as he watched a faint glow return to his body.

"I… I… believe you. But I still don't understand. Clearly we're meant to be together, but why can't those feelings help me control this? And what is this darkness I'm supposed to be eliminating?"

"Ahem…"

Both teens turned, almost forgetting Clockwork's presence in their moment of emotion.

"If all this mushy stuff is over, maybe you could stop and actually listen to me."

* * *

"Why would I listen to you?" Danny asked, raising his voice. "You just attacked me for speaking my mind!"

"Well if you would have listened to what I've been saying, I wouldn't have needed to do what was necessary."

' _Will he EVER learn that I know best here? That I CAN HELP!?'_

"Necessary? That's what you call it now? So, if I say something wrong again are you going to try putting me in time out?" Danny laughed at his own joke.

"Haha boy, you are so, so clever. Just stop for one second and let me talk." He aged himself into his eldest form and lowered himself to the ground at this, trying to come off as less menacing.

Sighing, Danny took a couple of steps forward. "You've got 5 minutes," was all Danny could say, despite his knowledge that there was no obvious way home.

"Daniel, clearly you are still learning. Let me help you regain some control. I can teach you many, many things about your destiny."

Danny looked at Clockwork as he said this, confusion again showing in his face.

"This is coming from someone who just said they didn't understand my powers."

"Well yes, but I understand ghosts, moving on, and legends. And you, son, are all three." He smirked at this, hoping to win over a bit of the boy.

Sam had stayed back but was beginning to panic now, realizing that Clockwork was trying to gain control.

"Danny, don't! Remember, your power is linked to me. I really doubt that he can help you here as much as being in the human world with me could!"

"There is always another way. Always." Clockwork smiled as Danny looked between him and Sam, trying to convince the group, and himself, that this could work.

Sam glared at Clockwork, furious that he would even suggest such a thing after specifically stating that their love was the key.

"But that scene, with the ice cream, it can't happen if you stay here!"

"But time changes, as all things change. That moment is not set in stone. And even if it is, once you master your powers, you will be free to return."

"STOP!" Danny yelled as he closed his eyes, feeling a bit of ghost energy radiate through his body as they turned back to bright green. "BOTH OF YOU STOP! You are acting like children fighting over a toy!" He said, enraged, "And I am NO ONE'S TOY!" Danny began to shiver as his eyes turned back to blue and he slowly fell towards the ground, no longer able to stay afloat. Upon reaching the ground, he continued to sink, although very, very slowly. His confused eyes darted down to his amulet, grasping at the idea that there could be even a small bit of stored energy, but instead it just clanked against his chest, almost as if it was tired. He then looked between the Sam and Clockwork, complete fear on his face.

' _At last. His human side is taking over. Let the boy see that there are consequences to his actions. Don't save him… yet,'_ Clockwork thought as he watched Daniel sink.

"See son, this is what I could teach you. How to control your ghost powers here. After all, when you let your humanity win, you end up losing," Clockwork said, once again revealing the power-hungry nature Danny had come to know as he let himself age down.

Danny continued to look at the ghost as his body slowly sank through the floor, unable to move until finally he felt solid ground. But with that feeling came another feeling he didn't like. A feeling of helplessness that could only mean Clockwork had gained some control.

* * *

"Danny! He's been controlling me the same way he is you right now. Grabbing a mental hold and making me do what he wants. I know you can fight this, stand on the ground yourself, without his help!"

Sam stepped forward as she said this, trying to find a way to keep him from sinking through the ground without Clockwork's powers. As she did, she felt a clunk against her neck and remembered the medallion that was keeping her here. She looked down at it, grabbing it in her hands, and then to Danny, who was trying to resist Clockwork's hold, but also didn't want to sink.

"Sam, I, I…" He looked at her and watched her change once again into the Sarah he remembered. "I need his help, if I want to control this. I know it's linked to us, but right now, I need his help…"

"No you don't!" she said loudly as Danny's view of her changed back to Sam and she ran forward, pulling the medallion off her neck and holding it towards him. "You just have to trust me. Trust US. This will work out. We just need to believe that it will."

' _If I give him this, he'll survive here without that jerk's help. But… what will happen to me?'_ She thought for a mere second before acting. Losing all the hesitation and fear from before, she threw her medallion around his neck.

Danny felt its power take hold and was able to let Clockwork's grip on him disappear. His eyes turned back to a green as he watched Sam sink through the ground, much faster than Danny had been, but not before saying her last words to him.

"I love you Danny."


	31. Chapter 30

"The screen shows the little clouds exploding! You must have to touch them! Let them Pop!"

"Say that again?" Danny's voice crackled through to Tucker's headset.

"Touch the orbs, let them pop!" Tucker practically yelled back, realizing he was losing his connection.

The three of them were still sitting around the computer, all with headsets on, staring at the screen as Danny's dot disappeared.

Suddenly, Tucker found himself lurching back as the screen went solid green, his headset turning to static.

"Did yours…?"

"Go to static? Yup," Maddie responded.

"So, does that mean?" Jack asked.

"He's out of our range?" she offered. "There is nothing we can do now but hope he survives on his own in there."

"But there has to be SOMETHING we can do!" Tucker said angrily as he turned to the adults behind him. "Anything else integrated into that suit?"

"We put so many things in there, I forgot what half of them do!" Jack replied, then put his head down in frustration.

"Jack, remember, there are parts of the Zone that we haven't even explored. Parts we can't even begin to imagine. We've barely even cracked the surface!" Maddie said, getting up and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I guess Mads, but I just wish we knew more. We've been studying ghost lore for so long, waiting for this moment, and it feels like we're back to square one."

"It does seem so doesn't it, dear?"

Tucker turned to the adults at this, trying to find a way to bring back the confident ghost researchers he had heard so much about.

"STOP! Both of you. Just. Stop. You are Jack and Maddie Fenton, the two scientists who DISCOVERED THE GHOST ZONE. You have worked too hard to give up now! Yes, Danny is out of reach. No, we don't know what has happened to Sam. BUT we do know that we can't just give up!"

The couple looked at each other, then to the teen in front of them, a bit struck by his confrontation.

"Think guys. Is there ANYTHING in that suit we can use to figure things out. Anything that has a longer range?" Tucker asked, trying again to bring back the heroes he knew they could be.

"GZPS went out already, as did our coms. He's gone too deep into the Zone, we can't communicate," Maddie answered.

"The extra energy boosters won't do any good either, as they only affect him," Jack added.

"And we can't check his vitals because they were connected to the GZPS," Maddie finished.

"His vitals… wait!" Tucker quickly responded, then added, "We were able to check his vitals, his location, his everything, on your computer program!" He turned back to the computer and began pushing keys as the screens changed.

"And?" Jack asked.

"Well, you said yourself you packed a lot into that thing. Maybe TOO MUCH! Maybe if we remotely disable some of it, we'll be able to get enough power to boost the rest!"

"Tucker, that's brilliant!" Maddie exclaimed, giving him a hug from behind. "Turn off the GZPS, since we know where he is now, and play with the coms. See if you can disable the two-way audio."

"Why would we disable that, Mads?" Jack asked, confused.

"Sure, we want to hear what's happening on his end, but I don't think there's anything we can tell him while he's confronting that monster that will really help," Maddie explained.

"OOOOO," Jack said, his mouth in an O shape.

"GZPS. Off." Tucker said as he clicked a few buttons. "Two-way coms, off. Try the audio receiver now!"

Maddie put her headset back on and played with the dial until finally she let out a smile. "It's static, but I can hear a bit. Danny just said something."

She lurched back at this, as if taken aback.

"What!?" Jack and Tucker said together in surprise.

"It's just… I heard another voice. It must be HIM. It's so deep and profound."

Tucker grabbed his set and put it on but frowned in dismay as he messed with his dial.

"The frequency must still be too weak. We can only get through on one set. Maddie it'll have to be yours."

"That's fine Tucker," she replied, before adding, "Can you check his vitals now, or do we need to disable more?"

Tucker looked back at his screen but sadly there was no information about Danny's health.

"I don't get it. We should be able to see how he's doing, I turned off what you said, plus a few of those extras, like the coffee warmer you added Jack…"

Maddie looked at her husband and raised an eyebrow.

"What, no one likes a cold cup of coffee…" Jack replied quietly.

"Wait! I think he… he took off the suit!"

"Why on Earth would he do that!" Jack asked loudly, raising his hands. "He knows he needs his strength!"

"It's Clockwork. I just heard his faint voice say something about Danny benefiting from removing his suit."

"I just hope Danny knows what he's doing," Tucker responded, feeling a bit unsure of their ghostly hero's chances of saving his friend.

"Unfortunately, I can't hear everything. It's fading in and out. And if Danny really took it off, it's not even as close to the speakers as it once was." Maddie replied in dismay.

"But it's better than nothing! Keep listening Mads!" Jack said, regaining his positive attitude.

"Well if you'd stop talking it'd be easier!" she said, walking towards the back of the lab with her head down.

"I think she needs some space," Tucker whispered to Jack as he turned back toward the computer. "Is there anything else on here that may help us?"

"I've got a few folders with ghost information, and there was a bit on Clockwork, but really not much. I can pull them up if you think they'd help," Jack answered.

Tucker looked back at Maddie, who was still deep in thought trying to hear what was happening deep in the Zone, sometimes making a face at what she heard.

"Looks like we'll be here awhile, so go ahead."

* * *

Tucker was scanning the files Jack had pulled up, looking for anything that may give them a clue to Clockwork's motives.

"Master of time. Able to control who stays and goes. Helps ghosts move on…" Tucker murmured as he scrolled. "All things you've already told me when I arrived, basically."

"I told you son, I've shared pretty much everything I can already. Me and Maddie, we haven't been able to research individual ghosts much, seeing as we haven't had access to the Zone until recently."

"Wait! Here's something!" Tucker interrupted, squinting at the screen. "It's a scanned document, from your mom I'm guessing?"

Jack looked at it too and nodded. "I've only been able to decipher about half of what it says though, since her handwriting was so frail towards the end."

Tucker kept squinting as he scanned his eyes over it, mouthing the words to himself before turning to Jack and pointing at part of it.

"Is this the part you couldn't read?"

Jack looked and nodded again.

"Jack, I think Sam's in trouble," he gulped, before continuing. "If I'm reading this right, that medallion we have is more than just a trinket. It says here 'Clockwork's medallions allow a being in and out of his lair. Without them they can't find it.'"

"I think we figured that out. After all it's our map now!" Jack said.

"But there's more! This here, in really messy scribbles! She must have been in a hurry or something, I'm only able to piece a few small bits together. But it doesn't look good."

Before Tucker could say more Maddie came running over to the group.

"Boys! We've got a problem!"

* * *

While the boys played on the computer, Maddie sat quietly in the corner, concentrating hard on picking up what little she could from her headset.

" _You said his powers were fueled by our love…"_

A rush of relief took over Maddie as heard Sam's voice this time, clearly still alive.

" _He finds himself questioning things… that's when the human emerges."_

She gritted her teeth. Clockwork again. And she wasn't even to hear the whole bit of his sentence.

' _Think Maddie! Put these pieces together. Clearly Clockwork is telling the kids that they are linked, but we kind of knew that already…'_

She stopped as she heard more come through.

" _I have not been able to see…. Until it occurred in real time… because of your powers."_

Maddie opened her mouth in awe, finally figuring a few things out.

' _Clockwork's visions are affected by Danny's powers? But wasn't Clockwork supposed to be all-knowing? Able to control everything and everyone? Ha! We'll see about that!'_

She was about to go back to the group and tell them what she had just figured out, to see if they had any ideas about how to use this to their advantage, when she heard more.

"… _Let him lay! Let him realize I am right!"_

The voice was angry, as if something had just happened to set him off. Maddie was horrified to think what it could have been and what he could have done, but also too intrigued to let herself get distracted by the boys. She glanced over at them to see them peering at the computer intently, and decided to stay and listen, planning to fill them in on it all when she had a more concrete idea.

" _I may not have my powers… Tell me what's going on…"_

Maddie sighed in relief as she heard his voice, though it was strained and full of crackling static.

" _This amulet…"_

She felt like she was hearing a soap opera play out as she strained to listen, not wanting to stop even as the static got worse and worse. _'Danny must have gotten further from where his suit landed,'_ she thought.

" _It's linked to your destiny…_ "

Sam this time, before even more static came, so strong she couldn't hear a word.

' _Clearly that amulet Danny has is linked to his powers, his love. And so is Sam. And that power is stronger than Clockwork thought. It's strong enough to overtake him even. If only Danny can find a way to harness it…'_

She kept thinking, glancing at the boys again to see them squinting at their screen, while listening intently to the static in her set. She was about to pull it off and give up when something broke through that caught her attention.

" _I AM NO ONE'S TOY!"_ Danny's voice rang through, clearer than it had been before.

" _Danny!"_ Sam's voice now, but not as clear.

Maddie closed her eyes again, straining to hear, knowing it could be important.

" _Trust me. Trust us! This will work out...!"_ Her voice was really weak now, almost completely gone.

She knew something was up, and she knew she needed to share what she had heard. She turned back to the boys, ready to explain when one last bit came through.

" _I love you, Danny."_

Tears filled Maddie's eyes at this, full knowing that something bad must have happened to Sam. Hoping that maybe the boys could shed some light, she ran over to them, fear in her voice as she said, "Boys. We've got a problem!"

* * *

"Jazz's notes say WHAT?" Jack asked again, as Tucker explained what he was able to decipher.

Maddie had just finished frantically filling them in on what she had heard, and was now tapping her toes impatiently, knowing that every second they spent was another one Sam was in trouble.

"Humans. They can't survive for long in the Ghost Zone. Only a few things can fix that, and one of them is Clockwork's medallions. Or at least, that's what her scribbles look like they say," Tucker replied. "And if Maddie is correct in what she heard, I have a feeling Sam took hers off."

"Which means…. She's gone?" Jack asked.

"Now Jack, don't race to any conclusions, we can't know for sure. And even if she did take it off, I bet Danny found a way to save her." She paused, then said, "Unfortunately, my headset is static again and nothing is coming through at all." She frowned, tears forming in her eyes.

Jack put his arm around his wife, trying to comfort her the way she always did him.

"This isn't our fault. This isn't anyone's fault except that low-life ghost, Clockwork. And I promise Maddie, we WILL make him pay!"

"But what can we even do?" Maddie replied, her usual confidence shaken.

"What can't we do? We're family! And family always wins!" Jack replied with a boom in his voice. "Plus, Danny is strong, powerful and in love! And if family doesn't win, love will!"

Tucker listened intently as Jack cheered up his wife, trying to figure things out. It wasn't until Jack mentioned love that he remembered something very important.

"Guys! We should probably fill in Sam's grandma, don't you think?"

* * *

With a little coaxing from Maddie, Sarah had decided to take a breather and go for a roll around the block. It had been a rough day and she needed to get some space.

' _A few weeks ago, we were all normal. Living at home. Going about our lives. And now? Sam's been abducted by a crazy ghost who can control time!'_

' _But a few weeks ago, Sam was also depressed and lonely. It was only a matter of time before she took it a step further.'_

She really didn't know which was better – returning to life as normal or letting ghosts control their fate. In her mind, they were both bad choices.

' _How about something in the middle. Something where Sam is happy, Danny is able to find balance and we all return to life?'_

' _Danny shouldn't even exist. He died fifty years ago!'_

' _And yet there he was, standing in front of you earlier today, almost human.'_

She couldn't make sense of it all, not really. As much as she wanted normalcy, she also found the idea of her former boyfriend returning intriguing, refreshing almost. It was like they all had been given a second chance.

' _Second chance? Ha! You're 50 years older now, it's not like you should be with a teenager!'_

' _Of course not, but Sammy, she's getting the chance you never had!'_

"If only…" She found herself saying out loud as she returned to the Fenton House. So much for a breather. She knew she'd feel better she went back in and tried to help in some way.

She wheeled herself up their ramp and into the house, which had been left unlocked for her, only to find the living room still empty.

' _Whatever is going on down there, I sure hope they find their answers sooner rather than later.'_

She went back over to the main room and found a TV remote, ready to let the glow of the screen distract her while the real work was done downstairs. But before she could click it on, she found her vision going black and her head getting dizzy as she fell forward and hit the ground.

* * *

At the reminder from Tucker that Sam's grandma was still upstairs, patiently waiting for results, Maddie had run up to check on her once more, knowing she'd have to break the news of her granddaughter's fate very gently.

She turned towards the living room and looked around, not seeing Sarah at first and assuming she was still outside. But then she looked again and saw a glimpse of her metal scooter. Eyes wide, she quickly ran into the room, only to find that Sarah was lying on the ground, with nothing so much as a heartbeat or pulse.


	32. Chapter 31

Danny felt energy pulsing through his body as he stared at the spot where Sam had just been, unable to completely comprehend what he had just witnessed.

' _Sam… I… where…?'_

He looked from the ground to his hands, which reached to touch the trinket around his neck; it was faintly glowing. His hands were doing the same, glowing a bit, but he could tell that he still hadn't regained all of his ghost energy. But maybe it was still enough?

Without thinking he quickly jumped up and dove toward the ground, hoping to phase through and rescue Sam before she fell into the abyss below Clockwork's castle. Instead he found himself hitting the ground with a loud "Umph!" as his body resisted falling through. Struggling to get up, he heard a quiet chuckle from in front of him.

"Boy, you really think it's that easy to bring her back?" the ghost said, a slight smirk on his face as he watched Danny return to his feet.

His smirk quickly disappeared as he found himself once again pinned against his back wall, a pair of green eyes shooting daggers into his red ones.

"BRING HER BACK! I know you can!"

Clockwork simply stared at the figure holding him down, watching as his eyes flickered from blue to green while never losing their focus, until finally the elder ghost was able to gain some control and push Danny off.

"Boy!" the ghost shouted back as he floated far above his companion. "You really think it's that easy? That I can just bring her back and you can go back to being all cutesy with her?" He aged down with these words, watching as Danny tried to comprehend what he had just said.

"Look at you! Flickering between forms, unable to fully retain your powers, relying on those necklaces to keep you stable!" Clockwork continued with a taunting voice. "You don't understand, and you never will."

' _Then why don't you just TELL ME. Help me understand. Bring her back and help me to use our love to control this!'_

He wanted to demand these things, but before he could even open his mouth he felt a jolt of electricity pulse through his body, causing him to once again hit the floor.

"They're fighting each other: my medallion and Dora's amulet. They weren't meant to be used together, and now that you've had them both on, they're disagreeing with your body."

Danny looked up at the ghost, feeling the pain in his face as he tried to keep a single form for a second or two.

"Then how… how do I...?" he gasped, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"Control it?" Clockwork finished as he returned to his adult form. "You can't. Not yet. That is why you need me. Why you will always need me. To help you learn how to control your emotions and your forms." He smiled at this, realizing things he hadn't himself known when he resurrected Danny.

Slowly standing up, Danny took a deep breath, trying to keep the pain from overtaking his body, and responded. "You knew this when you brought me back! You keep saying you didn't, but you did!"

"What, that you'd be able to change forms?" Clockwork laughed, then added, "What I told you before was the truth. I was completely surprised when you came back as a ghost. It wasn't until I saw things play out that I realized you could be both."

"But now that you know I can be both, you think you can use that to control me!" Danny closed his eyes as he felt the pain slowly subside, regaining a bit of his own control.

"Even when you finally admit that you are in love with the girl, you will always need me. I know more about the ghost zone and its history then you can even hope to learn in a lifetime." He turned away from Danny, floating over to one of his windows, and looked out into the abyss.

"I will NEVER need you! No matter how much you try and sway me into your direction, I refuse to let you control me!" He felt more ghost energy enter his body at this, but also a jolt of pain as Sam's medallion fought back. He looked down at the necklaces around his neck, hoping that he was making a smart decision, and lifted the one Sam gave him up over his head.

It was as he was about to completely remove the necklace that he heard her.

" _Danny. Don't let him trick you. If you remove it now, you may not make it out. No matter the pain, you have to keep them both. They need each other. Just like we need each other."_

"Sam… I…" he said slowly as he lowered the medallion back onto his neck, another jolt of electricity hitting his spine in the process.

Clockwork, who had turned from the window at Danny's yelling, raised an eyebrow as he watched Danny's struggle with the necklaces.

" _Hold on Danny. Let the pain flow through your body. Soon it will be gone and when it is, you will have control again."_

"I… I can't do this. It hurts too bad!"

Clockwork was beginning to worry now as he watched the boy talking to himself, his powers still flickering between human and ghost.

"Who are you talking to?" he demanded.

Danny looked up at the ghost, almost forgetting that the was here what with all this pain.

"You can't… hear her?"

"Her? You mean… Samantha?"

" _Danny. Don't let him trick you. Hold on a bit longer. They're getting stronger. I can tell. You just have to listen to my voice. Trust me."_

Danny's eyes got big as he realized that he was the only one hearing her voice now.

' _But of course he can't hear her! Otherwise she wouldn't be saying these things. But how am I hearing her?'_

As if answering his thoughts, he heard her voice again.

" _The medallion. It's been with me for so long it was able to collect some of my energy. Trust me Danny. DO NOT remove it! Once both necklaces stop fighting, you'll need it to find me."_

"Find you? So, you're… still alive?"

Clockwork answered this time, having heard Danny's comments.

"Of course she is, fool! It takes longer than a few seconds for humans to die in the Ghost Zone!"

" _Danny. I'm still alive, but just barely. I can feel my lifeforce weakening the farther I fall… Are the necklaces… is the pain…? Is it getting better?"_

Danny closed his eyes and tried to focus all his energy into the necklaces around his neck, feeling the pain slowly start to subside once more.

"Sam. I don't know how long this will take. But I need to find you. Save you!"

" _You can't. Not until you regain control. Leaving his tower now, unstable as you are, will only harm us both!"_

"It's not that easy you know. Thinking that you can just wait the pain out. Controlling this is much harder than you think," Clockwork's voice interjected.

Danny looked at Clockwork again, who had aged into his eldest form, and glared into his eyes.

"I already told you, I am not staying here to train with you!" Danny shouted, his eyes blazing green as the pain slid further away and he felt himself turning more and more ghostly.

"You told me about this prophecy and my destiny. How I'm supposed to defeat the darkness that lingers over the Ghost Zone..." Danny continued, raising his voice and floating further above the ground. "But what I don't get is how staying to train with you helps me fulfill anything other than your selfish wishes."

Watching Danny slowly rise above the ground, his eyes glowing, Clockwork began to shrink back a bit.

"As I said before, Daniel, my training will help you control your powers so that you can accomplish those things," the ghost said, a bit of nervousness in his voice.

" _Danny. Keep talking. You're getting stronger. And he's getting scared."_

"But that's not your job, it never was!" Danny continued. "Your JOB was to help those who ended up here move on and to protect those that stayed!"

"You know NOTHING about my job!"

"I know plenty!" Danny was floating even higher now, feeling all the energy of both necklaces finally working together. "I read my sister's notes and Jack's files, the things they found out about you. And I know that you haven't helped anyone in ages. I know that ghosts are running amuck. And I know that they're scared of you!"

As Danny floated above the ground, he watched Clockwork shrink even further back, obviously trying to hide the fear from his face as he began to realize that what Danny was saying was indeed true.

Hovering even higher in the room than Clockwork, Danny looked down at the ghost, his full ghost form finally taking control.

" _Danny. I can feel it. It's working isn't it? You're back to being a ghost again! Now's the time! Leave him to his thoughts and come find me!"_

"The darkness, the one in the prophecy you are so obsessed with, so intent on being the one to solve, is, and always has been, YOU!"

With that, Danny dove towards the ground, and this time was able to phase through, leaving Clockwork feeling more alone than he had ever felt.

* * *

' _The darkness. Could it really be?'_

' _You've debated this before Clockwork. You've thought long and hard. There's no way the boy can be right!'_

' _But I haven't helped anyone in ages. And ghosts ARE scared of me. What if he speaks the truth?'_

' _Truth! The only truth is that you shouldn't have brought him back to begin with. This whole thing has gotten way out of hand!'_

' _But I needed the boy! It's his destiny to bring light back to our realm.'_

' _Something went wrong! He's gotten too powerful! He must be stopped!'_

' _I've been looking at this wrong. Obsessing far too long. When clearly, the answer has been in front of me the whole time.'_

' _Stop thinking those things, you know better.'_

' _I haven't helped anyone move on in eons. I've let ghosts wander into my time traps and get lost. I've kept those who truly need me from getting my help. The boy is right… I must be… the darkness.'_

* * *

Danny was speeding through the realm below Clockwork's tower at lightning speed, the time medallion around his neck glowing bright, almost as if to show him the way.

' _I'm coming Sam. Just hold on a bit longer. I'll find you!'_

Flying faster than he had ever flown, he allowed the ghostly air to whip his face. Despite being on a mission, it felt nice to once again feel the freedom of flight. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would last.

' _Sam. When I find you, I promise I will do everything I can to gain control of my forms. So that we can defeat this darkness and I can be with you. That's a promise.'_

He kept flying, waiting for an answer in return from the voice he had gotten used to hearing, but received nothing. As he looked down he noticed the glow from Clockwork's medallion was getting stronger.

"Umph!"

He let out a cry of pain as he flew head first onto a floating rock, having not noticed it as he looked at the necklaces.

Sitting up and rubbing his head, he looked around at where he had landed. It was larger than he initially thought, but otherwise barren, only bits of smaller rock scattered around its empty space.

Danny was about to get up and continue flying when he felt a jolt of electricity once again in his back. Looking down at the medallion, he noticed it Glowing the brightest he had ever seen it glow. Grasping the gold circle in his hand, he raised it up like a flashlight to light his way.

Squinting around the island, he noticed something he hadn't spotted in his initial inspection: An arm flailed over the top of a rock. And where there was an arm, there was…

"Sam!" he cried, running across the rock to where her form was lying.

Bending down to look closer, he noticed her eyes were closed and her body wasn't moving. Putting his icy hands on her chest, he gasped to find that there was no heartbeat as well.

"Sam… I… please. Please be ok."

He raised his head up, looking into the dark abyss of the Ghost Zone, hoping that something, anything could bring her back.

' _We were just talking! How long was it? How long have you been out like this?'_

As if reading his thoughts, he heard her voice once again through his medallion.

" _Danny… You made it. And you kept it safe! I knew you would!"_

"Safe?" he questioned out loud, then smacked his head as he realized what she meant.

Reaching his hand down to touch its cool surface, he lifted the time medallion up over his neck and placed it around hers, taking a deep breath as he did so.

Nothing happened. Her body was still limp, her eyes still closed, her heart still silent.

Danny couldn't take it anymore. He had been suppressing so many emotions since his arrival in the Zone that he just couldn't hold on. Dropping his head to the ground, messy white hair in his face, tears began to fall from his green eyes as they flickered back to blue.

"Sam… I... can't. I don't know what to do anymore. Clockwork. He's... he's the darkness. I just know it. But I don't know what to do. I don't know how to… how to… defeat him. How to make him stop this madness and admit that he's done wrong. I need you. You spent time with him, more than I did, and I need to know what to do next."

He sat in silence for what seemed like hours, mourning over her body, letting the tears fall as he tried to think of ways to revive her, but even her voice had disappeared from his head.

Finally, he spoke. "Sam, I'm sorry. Sorry I didn't let you help me. Sorry I thought that I could do this alone. Sorry I didn't see that he was right, and that I needed you as much as you needed me. I will always need you. I don't know how or why, but for some reason we're linked. Me and you and even Sarah. We're all linked in this crazy web he's built. I just wish you knew that. I just wish I hadn't been so stupid. Why couldn't I just say it! I know I've thought it before, but saying it out loud, that makes it real!" He got up from her body at this, floating a bit above and looking down at her.

"But I'm not scared anymore. And I know that together, we can defeat this and then live our lives. I know this Sam, because… I love you."

As he said those last words out loud, he felt warmth around his neck, looking down to see the amulet he had left on was glowing brighter than ever. Energy pulsed through his body, as if it had finally decided which form to take. Blinded by light, he squinted down to see the medallion around Sam's neck had also started to glow again, faint at first, and then brighter until its combined light with his was blinding. And then, they stopped. He looked back down at her and saw that her eyes had opened, and she was sitting up.

"Sam!"

Flying down, he put his arms out and scooped her up, bending his head to embrace her with a kiss in the process.


	33. Chapter 32

_He sat in the corner, crouched in an almost fetal position, rocking back and forth and muttering to himself out loud._

" _It can't be. There's no way…."_

_His form kept changing from young to old and back again as his fears grew._

" _Why didn't they tell me? Why would it take a BOY to point it out?"_

_He finally decided to try getting up, float around a bit and think, but at his first attempt he found himself falling back to the ground, growing young as he did so._

" _Someone had to know. Someone had to have planned all of this. The way I planned Daniel…."_

_He tried getting up again, this time sustaining his flight for a few moments before dropping back to the ground and letting his hands fall over his face._

" _Why does it have to be me? I never meant to hurt anyone. I just… just…"_

"ENOUGH!"

The image froze with Clockwork again on the floor, this time in his eldest form, head in his hands with his white beard hanging limply to the side as he looked to the ground. The figure watching turned to see another had entered the room.

"He has finally admitted what we have known all along, why we appointed him his job!" the first one said loudly.

"Yes, but we must give it a little more time. If we go barging in now, the boy will never learn!"

The first one let out a loud sigh, rolling his large eye at his companion.

"Trust me, it's for the best. But soon, soon things will finally be resolved."

With a swish of his cloak, the second observant turned to leave the screening room, begrudgingly followed by his partner.

* * *

They were still sitting on the rock, her head leaning on his shoulder, hands together, trying to put the pieces together.

"He brought me back to fulfill some crazy prophecy but didn't even know that HE was the one that needed defeating!"

"That arrogant bastard? All he thinks is that he's a God or something." She smiled, looking into his still green eyes.

"Whoever appointed him that job wasn't thinking clearly!" Danny chuckled.

The both laughed for a second, then stopped and looked into each other's eyes again.

"But seriously Danny, we need to end this. All of this. And soon. I want my life back."

"The life before I started this mess?" Danny asked, trying not to hit sore spot.

"No! A life with…you." She blushed at this.

He blushed also. "It's not that simple, Sam. I know the screens show it, but he was sorta right. Things can change. Maybe I defeat him and maybe I do gain control of my powers. But then what? I just go live in Amity with you all and pretend like I'm normal? What's next, returning to school to graduate?"

Without warning, he got up, almost causing Sam to fall to the ground. He hadn't thought of these things until now, but suddenly he was realizing that he truly had no idea what was next.

"And then what? Watch you age as I stay the same? No one explained these things to me Sam, not even HIM. I don't know what happens when I can finally control my changing. I don't know if I'll age like a human. I don't even know if I can stay in Amity!"

"JUST STOP DANNY!" Sam was up now too. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry. But we WILL figure this out. I promise. For now, let's try ending this war." She grabbed his hand, letting a shiver from his cold body run down her spine as she looked him in the eyes again.

"You always seem to know what to say. Thank you," he responded, allowing himself to calm down a bit. "But how do we even start to defeat him?"

"You said when you left he was confused, right? Questioning things, muttering?"

"Yup. He definitely did not see that revelation coming!"

"So maybe that's his defeat? Maybe he defeats himself…"

"Is that enough? It feels so anti-climatic after all we've been through," Danny questioned.

"Maybe. But maybe he needs another push. Another reminder… I think we need to go back."

He sighed, knowing that she was right. But how were they going to get back?

As if answering his question, Sam's necklace began to glow in the same way it had when Danny had been flying to her.

"Well, I think that's our cue. Ready to go kick some Time Master butt?" she asked.

Danny's eyes glowed bright green as she said this, squeezing her hand tighter.

"Let's end this!"

* * *

' _Did they know?'_

' _When they appointed you the Time Master? They couldn't.'_

' _But they were the ones who chose me. Told me it had to be me. All those eons ago…'_

' _But they couldn't have known. They constantly debunk it every time it's brought up!'_

' _Well, they have always been good at keeping things hidden.'_

He was still in his corner but had managed to get up and stay up this time, as he hovered back and forth.

' _Forget them for a moment. The boy. His destiny is to defeat the…'_

' _But that means defeating me!'_

' _Precisely. And perhaps he already has begun to. Look at you, unable to think straight! It's messing with you. You need to pull yourself together!'_

' _Darkness. It's been inside of me all this time. Why didn't I see it? I see every path that anybody can take. I see ghosts come and go from existence. I watch them cower in fear, bow to my power. But I didn't see that my power was always my undoing.'_

' _You can still change this, turn things around. Find a way to keep your power and fulfill his destiny…'_

' _But how?'_

Throughout his mental crisis, Clockwork had kept hold of his staff. It swung in his hand as he paced, such a natural extension of his own arm, of Clockwork himself, that it wasn't until he looked at it now that he noticed it glowing brightly.

"Of course! My staff! I'm so used to having it that I forgot all about its power!" he said out loud.

' _Hold on to that. It might just save your after-life.'_

He held it in front of him, watching it glow with energy as a simple plan began to form.

"Huh. I had expected you to be cowering in a corner somewhere, Clockwork."

He looked up, accidentally allowing himself to change forms, but never letting go of his glowing staff, to see that his two captives had finally decided to return.

* * *

Danny and Sam found themselves back at the entrance to Clockwork's castle, which did not look as menacing now that they knew what their mission was.

"You sure you're up for this? After all, it's my destiny, not yours," Danny asked as he turned to look at her.

"No. It's OUR destiny, and I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied, trying to hide a bit of fear.

Danny smiled shily. "Well then, let's do this."

Hand in hand, Danny phased them through the entrance and found himself back where the whole mess had begun. Looking around, he was a bit surprised to see that Clockwork was actually floating around his realm, almost as if nothing had happened.

"Huh. I had expected you to be cowering in a corner somewhere, Clockwork," he said, mustering up as much courage as he could.

Clockwork looked up at the two figures who had arrived, changing forms in the process, but never losing his focus.

"Ah, Daniel. I see you managed to save the girl after all." He grinned.

"Yea, no thanks to you."

Clockwork blinked, trying to think of a comeback, until finally, "It was never my intention to let the girl die. But you had to learn what happens when you mess with things."

Danny opened his mouth, another remark already on his lips, but Sam spoke up before he had a chance.

" _We_ had to learn? It's not like you haven't messed with things PLENTY of times!" she yelled, glaring at the ghost before them.

Clockwork was taken aback once again, finding himself floating backwards and aging down to his youngest form.

Trying to regain some control, he focused all his energy on Sam, sending her flying backwards into the wall.

"Don't think that you know ANYTHING about my powers!" the ghost shouted, mustering up the most menacing voice he could.

Watching as she flew, Danny's eyes began to glow brighter with anger.

"You'd be a lot more menacing if you didn't push people around so much!"

He raised his hands as glowing green orbs appeared and aimed them right at Clockwork's chest.

The Time Master swerved right, just avoiding Danny's energy, and used his staff to send a purple burst of his own at the boy.

Danny, still focused on his own attack, was hit square in the stomach, and was flung backwards to join Sam against the wall, not noticing his amulet falling off in the process.

Gaining some composure, he turned to look at Sam next to him, trying to figure out what to do. But to his horror, she was staring at him with wide open eyes.

"What?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"It's…you're…human again."

* * *

Clockwork was struggling, although he was able to hide it well. But with every word his visitors said, he found himself questioning his own motives once again.

Surprisingly enough, he found that the girl's words stung more than Daniel's.

" _We_ had to learn? It's not like you haven't messed with things PLENTY of times!"

That one hurt so much that he found himself lurching back and aging down.

' _Focus Clockwork. You can do this. Do not let them tell you otherwise.'_

"Don't think that you know ANYTHING about my powers!"

He closed his eyes and gripped his staff, allowing all of its power to pulse through him as he sent the girl flying to the ground.

Almost forgetting about the boy, he turned to watch as green orbs appeared in his hands. Quickly avoiding them and taking some of his remaining power, he sent a blow at Danny and watched as he flew back as well.

' _Show them who's in charge here. Let the power pulse through you. Let it keep you safe.'_

' _The power. The only power I even have right now…not even coming from my own self…'_

' _Don't let that disturb you. This staff has always been your main power, remember to keep it safe…'_

' _But without it, I'd be…'_

' _Just absorb its power and you will be fine.'_

His staff glowed bright purple as he absorbed its power, not allowing anything to get in his way.

Feeling the jolt of newfound energy, he looked to his captives again, ready for another blow, only to see that something had changed.

' _The boy, he's human again…'_

He looked closer, until finally he noticed that there was no longer a necklace around the boy's neck.

' _This is your chance Clockwork. That stupid necklace has controlled far too many things. Find a way to keep it from him and at last he will learn his true destiny.'_

* * *

Danny looked at Sam, concern now appearing in his blue eyes as he reached down to his neck.

"The amulet…it must have fallen off!"

He got up quickly, scanning the room for the fallen trinket. But upon standing up he felt his feet sink back into the ground.

"Danny, humans fall through things here, remember?" Sam sighed.

Danny lifted his feet, trying to take a few steps, but barely going anywhere.

"Sam, you still have yours. Get up and find that necklace!" he said with as much energy as he could.

They both looked around, trying to spot any glimpse of gold, until Sam finally pointed to a spot in the corner.

"Danny! Found it! It must have flown far when you got hit! Hold on!"

She got up, having regained some energy after Clockwork's attack, and began to head toward the spot the necklace was laying.

The necklace flew up from its corner as she approached, flying over her head and into the hands of the captor.

"Ha. Did you forget that I'm still here?" Clockwork grinned as he grabbed the necklace from the air.

"Ugh," Sam grunted as she turned to look at the ghost. "Clockwork, give that back! You know far too well he needs it!"

"Ha!" Clockwork said again, trying to hide his insecurities, "Daniel has already changed his destiny. So, I think I'll hold onto this a bit. Show you both what happens with you mess with time."

' _Changed my destiny?'_ Danny thought as he heard this. _'What does he mean?'_

Danny's mind was reeling now, trying to figure out what game Clockwork was even playing at this point.

' _He's still the darkness, I just know it. If only I had my powers…'_

Danny tried to move, using every ounce of energy he could to lift his feet out of the floor. Slowly, he found himself stepping forward, feeling a bit of cold energy pulse through his body.

' _The ghost energy in me still exists, otherwise I'd have sunk by now.'_

"I've changed before without that necklace, Clockwork, and I know I can do it again!" he shouted, sounding more sure than he really was.

Clockwork watched on, holding the necklace even firmer as Danny's steps forward became more confident.

' _It's here. It's in me. I just need to let it out!'_

After a few long seconds of concentration, Danny found himself floating a few inches above the ground, cool energy pulsing harder through his body.

' _Focus Danny, you have this. Think of your family. Friends. Sarah. The Fentons. SAM. Everything you gave up…'_

He had closed his eyes as he thought these things, not taking another step. It wasn't until he heard Sam let out a loud gasp that he opened his eyes and looked down.

He was floating feet above the ground, just as he would in his ghost form. But it wasn't this that had caused Sam to gasp, he realized.

It as the two white rings that had found themselves around his body, slowly traveling in both directions to reveal his ghostly self.

* * *

Clockwork had been watching as the boy floated forward, slowly gaining his powers back.

' _At last, he is learning control.'_

' _But what does that mean for you, Clockwork? For with his powers, the boy will surely defeat you…'_

Although he had been trying to hide his fear and thought he had been doing a pretty good job of it, the boy's words about him being the Darkness still stung in his ears. They had to be wrong. There had to be something else that he was destined to defeat.

' _Forget what he said. Forget what you realized. Now that he is fully in control of his powers, there has to be something else…'_

' _But what if there isn't?_

' _Well then…maybe it's time…'_

He couldn't believe he was thinking these things. Could he really let this boy, one HE had created, be his defeat?

His thoughts stopped as he heard the girl let out a gasp and looked at Daniel once again. His red eyes grew big as he witnessed something he had only hoped would one day happen.

The white rings around the boy's body travelled in both directions, transforming him into the ghost that Clockwork had first awakened so many weeks ago.

Trying not to be scared for what he sensed was next, he mustered some courage and spoke.

"Well Daniel, I see you have finally managed to control your powers."

* * *

Danny lifted his hand to his hair, touching its white surface.

He spun around and looked for something reflective, only to see a hint of green from his eyes.

He looked down, seeing his gloved hands emit a soft green glow from the energy he was radiating.

_It couldn't be!_

Somehow, someway, he had managed to allow his body to control his transformations.

"Well Daniel, I see you have managed to finally control your powers."

Clockwork!

He felt the energy radiating through his body, more than he had EVER felt before, as he flew closer to his enemy.

"And I owe it all to you!" he shouted with more confidence than he ever had before. Now that his powers were back in full force, there was nothing stopping him from finally ending this game with Clockwork.

His hands began to glow brighter green, again forming two large balls of energy which he aimed right at the ghost before him.

This time Clockwork didn't avoid the hit; instead he allowed himself to face it square on as he transformed to his eldest self and flew back.

But he wasn't going to let the boy win that easily if he could help it. There had to be a way for him to keep some control and also let the prophecy play out.

"Daniel," he said, sounding like a weak old man, "you did it. You figured out how to control it. I'm so proud of you." He smiled as he got up.

"Proud!? What are you, my father?" Danny smirked.

"In a way, I feel like I am. After all, I did bring you back. Introduced you to this new world."

Danny's eyes softened a bit at this, knowing that Clockwork was right. But there had also been so many things he had done wrong in this short time that it was impossible for Danny to ever completely forgive him.

Danny watched as Clockwork got up and transformed into his young adult self, and for the first time noticed something he hadn't before.

' _That staff. The one he carries with him always. Did it just… glow? Is it possible his power…comes from that stick?'_

A thought was forming in his head now as he watched Clockwork's movements. They were weaker than before, and he was gripping that staff pretty tightly.

' _Do I dare?'_

As if answering his own question, Danny felt energy rising inside him. He prepared his hands for another ball of ecto-energy but was surprised to find the energy was rising even higher.

' _What?'_

It was in his neck, warming the back of his throat, waiting to be released.

He had never felt this before as a ghost. Could it be some new power?

' _Only one way to find out.'_

He opened his mouth and let the power go.


	34. Chapter 33

" _He's finally going to do it."_

" _Do we just sit and watch? Intervene?"_

" _I think we need to be ready to move, yes, but let's see how this plays out first."_

_The first observant looked to his companion before they both turned back to the screens._

* * *

Sam was still standing below, a bit away from where the showdown was happening, trying to stay out of the way. Now that Danny had found his power, she knew it was his and _only_ his job to finish this battle.

' _Danny, I believe in you. I always have. Just be careful.'_

She watched as he sent two green energy blasts right at the ghost, sending Clockwork flying back.

' _It's almost like he wants to lose…'_

But the ghost got up, once again spouting some crazy banter about how he was a father to Danny.

' _HA!'_

What happened next shook Sam the most. Made her realize the true potential of a ghost's powers. Made her realize the danger she was always in by hanging out with Danny.

The whole room shook as Danny opened his mouth and let out a blast of the strongest ghostly energy she had ever seen.

* * *

Clockwork flinched for a moment as he watched Danny's energy rise into his throat, not knowing what would happen next.

' _This… I have never seen. Some ghosts emit fire, yes, but energy like this? Where is it all coming from?'_

That was all he could think before thunderous waves of energy came from the boy's mouth. More powerful than anything the boy, or indeed any other ghost, had ever done.

Thinking quickly, Clockwork raised his staff.

"TIME OUT!"

It didn't work.

He forced himself to move further back in the room, trying to avoid the blast, until he was against the wall.

He held up his staff again, with a bit more hesitation.

"TIME OUT!"

Nothing. Nothing happened. Time didn't stop. Danny didn't freeze. The energy wave kept coming, until…

CRASH!

The whole realm shook as the energy hit both Clockwork and his staff, causing him to push further back into the wall. He watched in horror as the globe on his staff exploded before the whole thing fell towards the ground.

"NO!" He regained a bit of energy and reached forward, trying to grasp what was left of his power. But just as his hand was ready to grasp the stick, it flew through the air and landed in another's hand.

Clockwork blinked, looking from the place where the staff had been to where it was now.

"How?"

Danny looked back at him, holding what was left of the staff, a look of pure amazement in his eyes.

"Well, how does it feel now, Clockwork?" he asked with a grin.

* * *

Danny had never felt that sort of energy before, but as he opened his mouth, instinct told him what was next. It was as if he was one with his powers, in full control for the first time since his resurrection. And now that he had control, he knew what his destiny was.

' _Take him down!'_

The energy rippled through the room, pushing and breaking things with its waves of power. Danny kept his mouth open the whole time, allowing the energy to fly forward, and watched Clockwork's movements as he did so.

The ghost moved back, as far away as he could, but Danny knew it wouldn't be enough. The energy kept coming and eventually there would be nowhere for the ghost to hide.

Over the sound of his wail, he heard Clockwork yell "Time out!" but didn't feel its effects as he had before.

' _For once, I am the stronger being.'_

If he could snicker at this, he would have, but instead he let the energy keep coming, until finally he heard a shatter and a gasp as the blast finally hit his foe.

And as suddenly as it had begun, the wail stopped. The energy dissipated and Danny felt his body trying to recover from such a massive burst. But his job wasn't done, and he knew he needed to keep going. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Clockwork and saw him reaching for his staff, which had fallen from his grasp.

' _Now's your chance Danny; end this!'_

He simply thought about retrieving the staff and in that moment, the last burst of power still at his fingertips, he found the staff flying through the air and landing in his hands.

' _Huh?'_

"How?"

Clockwork's voice brought him back from his thoughts as he came to realize that he truly was in control now.

"Well, how does it feel now, Clockwork?" he asked with a grin.

He lifted the staff higher and noticed a soft glow; even with the orb broken, there was still a bit of power left.

He grinned again, all uncertainty about how he acquired the staff now replaced with a new energy to take down his foe.

Floating higher, he looked down at the spot where Clockwork was crouching, just noticing how much smaller he looked without his powerful stick, and prepared another blast of energy.

His hands lit green as energy pulsed through him once more, but just as he was about to release it, he was interrupted.

"Danny! Stop!"

* * *

Sam watched from behind as Danny's attack shook the room, trying not to be scared for the outcome. Luckily, it only went in one direction and Sam was behind it, able to watch without being harmed.

"Well, how does it feel now, Clockwork?" she heard him say as he captured the remains of his staff.

' _Danny, don't do anything stupid… please…'_

She watched him float higher, energy again glowing in his body.

' _Like that.'_

He was about to send another burst of energy, possibly the one that could defeat Clockwork once and for all, but could she really let him become the thing they had feared?

Without thinking further, she yelled as loud as she could.

"Danny! Stop!"

The energy faded, and he turned slowly; he seemed to have almost forgotten her presence. He looked down at her, confusion in his eyes.

"Sam? Why?"

"You can't let this new energy overtake you. It's powerful, maybe too powerful. And if you let it win, well…"

The was worry in her voice and fear in her eyes, the same fear she had shown around HIM.

He looked down at his hands and the broken staff he was holding, raising an eyebrow. He then turned and looked to Clockwork, who was still in the corner, shifting nervously as if he wanted to move but couldn't. He turned back to Sam, her soft amethyst eyes meeting his bright green ones.

"But Sam, you of all people know this is what I have to do. He has to be stopped."

"Danny, I think you already did that. Look at him: he's cowering in the corner, all his power currently in your hands."

"This can't be it. It can't be over. He's still here, he can still regain power. He's found ways in the past."

She could tell he really wanted to end it for good, and that, in his mind, that meant harming the ghost even more. Part of her wanted to accept this and allow it, knowing full well all the harm he had brought to both her and Danny, but another part was seeing Clockwork a little differently now that he was powerless in the corner.

' _There must be a way to end this without fully destroying him.'_

"My dear, there is a way."

* * *

Danny and Sam both turned as they heard an deep voice speak.

Floating behind them, wearing a vampire-like outfit, was a one-eyed, green-headed ghost.

They blinked, trying to see if they were imagining things. But instead of the one ghost disappearing, two more appeared behind it, dressed the same as the first.

"Daniel, you have done it!" the one to the left said.

"You have ended his reign!" the farthest right added.

Danny and Sam looked at each other, then back at the ghosts.

"Excuse me?" Danny finally asked.

"We have been watching for eons, waiting for this moment to come," the middle one began, "knowing that when you arrived, things would be set in motion and his destiny would finally be fulfilled."

" _His_ destiny?"

Everyone turned now to see that Clockwork had found the energy to rise and float toward them a bit.

"You told me when you appointed me that it was my destiny to watch over those who entered."

"And have you?" the middle one, clearly the leader, asked as he tilted his head to one side.

Clockwork looked down at the ground at this, not wanting to admit that the ghost had a point.

"Precisely!" the left one said.

"Since you discovered the boy, it has been your only prerogative!" the right one added.

"And you let it consume you!" the leader finished.

"But the prophecy… it said…" Clockwork tried to defend.

"We know what it said! We've known about it longer than you have!"

"You have?" both Clockwork and Danny said this at the same time, surprise clear in their voices.

The leader let out a small laugh before answering.

"Of course, we have. We, the Observants, have existed as long as the Zone has. We were the ones who WROTE the prophecy. We were the ones who chose YOU, Clockwork, because we knew you would be the one to bring it to life."

Clockwork flinched at this, floating back a bit.

"So you… you chose me because you knew I…"

"Would make it come true, yes," the third ghost replied.

"Remember when we found you? Alone in the Zone, cowering in fear? And we took you in, showed you how to become more. How to watch over the Zone. We knew, even then, that you would one day discover the book and bring the story to life."

"But did you know he'd end up evil?"

It was Sam who asked this time, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Oh yes, the girl. Hi!" the second one said before getting elbowed by the third.

"That, darling, we did not expect," the second one said, "for when we wrote the prophecy, we had no way of knowing who or what the darkness would be. It wasn't until HE became obsessed that we began to realize we had created a monster."

Clockwork rose a bit off the ground at that comment, anger bubbling inside him.

"A MONSTER. You think I'm a monster!?"

The leader raised his hands, forcing Clockwork back to the ground.

"You're no monster, Clockwork, you're just obsessive."

"And need to be dealt with properly."

"And that is why we are here."

The three looked at each other before turning back to the group.

"Clockwork, by order of the High Council, you are officially stripped of your duties as Timekeeper," all three observants said in unison.

Clockwork's mouth dropped at this, unsure how to act.

"We will be taking you back to the council chamber for further instruction but trust me when I say that the ghost elders will not go easy on you." The leader said this with an air of authority about him.

"TIME OU…" Clockwork began, raising his hands as he had done in the past, only to realize that he no longer had his staff or the power to stop time. Before he could even finish his command, the two observants raised their own hands and created a portal, sucking him and themselves into It, leaving only Danny, Sam and the Leader behind.

It was quiet for a second, until finally Danny spoke.

"So… uhhh… now what?"


	35. Chapter 34

Danny and Sam were sitting on Clockwork's couch, staring up at the Observant before them, waiting for answers.

"Will you PLEASE just tell us what is happening here?" Sam asked again, as the Observant paced in front of the large screen.

"My dear. What you ask is much harder to answer than you would believe. The story of Clockwork, it dates back eons and would take far too long to tell."

"We have a right to know!" Sam shouted. "We WERE the ones who defeated him, you know!"

The Observant huffed at this. "Only because it has been planned that way since the day Clockwork took his job."

Sam raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, still not willing to give up.

"You mean, EONS AGO, someone decided that Clockwork would control time and that WE would be the ones to end it eventually?"

She looked at Danny, trying to get him to speak up, but he was still a bit shocked to even be in this position.

' _Danny, help me here…'_

"Well, actually, just him," the Observant said as he pointed to Danny, who was taken aback by the sudden acknowledgement.

"Me? It's always been… me?"

' _Something still doesn't add up. How could anyone know so far back that one boy would save them all?'_

"Yes and no."

"Which is it?" Sam demanded.

Sensing that he was not going to win the argument with this girl, the ghost in front of them let out a sigh and answered with as little emotion as possible.

* * *

" _When the Ghost Zone came into existence, shortly after the creation of Earth, we Observants formed a council. Many of us came into being with the vast knowledge of our whole existence. We knew we had to pass on this information, and so we created books upon books of knowledge, many that exist in this realm even today._

" _As we were creating these books, the knowledge poured out, some of it coming to us as we wrote. The prophecies were some of these things._

" _Yes, there is more than one, please do not ask me to elaborate. For the one that is of importance right now is the one that pertains young Daniel._

_"It stated, '_ _One day there will come a being strong enough to wield the power of both realms. Upon the removal of the cursed Amulet of Aragon, this being will take its true place amongst both humans and ghosts, freeing the Ghost Zone of the dark power that lingers over it, and taking its place as the protector of both realms.'_

" _At the time of its creation, we did not behold the true meaning, or what that darkness would be, however, we always knew it would be a human who would in some way share powers with ghosts. At what point in time this would happen stayed obscured from us though._

" _It wasn't until we stumbled upon a young ghost, one that showed real potential as our protector, that we began to put the pieces together."_

* * *

"Clockwork…" Danny nearly whispered as the ghost before him paused.

"Yes…"

"You knew he would be the one to…"

"Create the savior? Precisely. But we were still unsure how. All we knew at the time was that this young ghost, wandering through the still very empty zone, unable to control the changes he found himself going through, was the one we needed to watch over the timelines and make sure things played out the way they were supposed to."

"Because that clearly worked," Sam snarked, still frustrated with the role she and Danny been made to play.

"PLEASE GIRL, let me finish!" The Observant was at the end of his wits with Sam, ready to just disappear back to his realm and leave the two of them to figure things out on their own.

"Sam… let him explain… please," Danny muttered, a hard look on his face.

"Fine… continue."

* * *

" _So, we took him in. Told him it was his destiny to watch over both realms and help those who had passed move onto a world beyond the Ghost Zone. After all, this world was not created to house the dead forever._

" _We gave him what he needed: this realm, the screens, the Graveyard, and of course his staff. We trained him to use his powers and to be what he became, passing on as much knowledge as we could and then, when the time was right, allowing him to freely do his job._

" _For centuries, he worked without complaint. Helping those who needed it pass onto their next life, all the while watching over the timelines. But we knew it wouldn't last_

" _When we entrusted him with this realm, we had also included the library, which, at first, he did not know contained his true destiny. It wasn't until things began slowing down that he found the time to look through the books, and in so doing discover the prophecy._

" _We knew the prophecy couldn't unfold until he discovered it, but what we didn't know was how obsessed he would become. Soon he lost all interest in helping those in need, instead allowing them to run amuck in the Zone. The screens he had once used to watch over the timelines became nothing more than a device for him to stare at aimlessly, always searching for the ONE._

" _It was then that we realized, by creating this being who could control time and allow the prophecy to come true, that we had also created the darkness that same prophecy referred to."_

* * *

It was Danny's turn to speak up now.

"And you didn't do anything?" He got up from his seat and floated closer to the ghost. "Clearly you have power over him! You couldn't have just ended it then and there?"

"It is more than that. This prophecy was created when our world was born. We couldn't risk not allowing it to play out. We had to keep going, knowing that one day he would discover the savior the prophecy spoke of, and in doing so, end his own reign."

"It just doesn't seem right, allowing someone to take control like that and not giving them any repercussions for their actions."

And now it was Sam's turn to be the voice of reason, for after hearing the full story, she had begun to do some rethinking.

"Danny. I get that you're mad. I was too. But all the graphic novels and legends I've read about in Skulk and Lurk say the same thing: you have to let these prophecies play out, otherwise there are dire consequences."

Danny looked back at Sam, trying to figure out why she was suddenly having a change of heart.

"Besides, if they hadn't done all this, you wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have met you and well…" She blushed.

Danny sighed.

"Ok, I get it. You had to let him reign. But now that reign is over. Does that mean the prophecy is fulfilled?" He looked back to the remaining Observant.

The Observant let out a low chuckle as he watched Danny fall back to his seat.

"Ha! Nary. You see, you may have been able to control your powers when Clockwork needed defeating, but you still have a long way to go, young man."

Danny raised an eyebrow at this.

Seeing the couple's frustration, the Observant turned to face the screens again, willing the largest to turn on before turning back to them with a sigh.

"If you must know, Daniel, there is more to this story than defeating Clockwork."

* * *

_Danny flies through the air at top speed, chasing after something as he emits green rays from his hands. The subject in question, as it turns out, is the same ghost he had met in the Zone on his way to Clockwork. But this time he's shooting rays at Danny, trying everything to win this battle._

" _Welp. You must know how much your pelt is worth! I will get you eventually!"_

_The screen changed._

_Danny is again battling a ghost, this time standing on the ground and watching as the trees around him come to life, the genie ghost behind them growing larger by the second._

" _Who the heck wished for evil plants!"_

_The screen changed._

_Amity Park, overgrown with vines, weeds, and flowers, as Danny blasts root after root to defeat their source._

"STOP IT!"

The boy's voice brought them all back to reality as the observant paused the screen on a scene of Danny captured in a thorny vine.

"Had enough yet?" the Observant asked, his robotic voice showing a hint of amusement.

"What does any of this mean?" Danny asked, although he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"This, young man, is your destiny. Don't you see? Your future is more that eating ice cream on a doorstep with the girl. It's protecting your city, those you love. Learning to control your powers and using them for the greater good."

"I've already done that! Stopped fires, caught criminals, done things the police can't," Danny said in a frustrated voice as he got up from his seat. "And what good did it do me?"

"Yes, you did help the local law enforcement. And yes, they expected it and got lethargic BUT you know what else you did? You stopped ghosts. You used those powers that you were given to keep the harmful ones at bay. And now that the portal has been opened, and there is no one to help them move on, they will KEEP COMING."

"And someone has to stop them," Sam whispered.

" The girl is correct!"

Danny looked down at Sam.

"But Sam, you saw the powers I have, what I had to do to defeat HIM. What if I have to do that again and someone gets hurt?"

Before Sam could answer, the Observant spoke up again.

"Yes, someone could get hurt. But that is why you must trust your instincts. When you needed to defeat Clockwork, and your mouth shot out that…"

"Wail. The huge ghostly wail. I didn't even have to think, I just…"

"You just knew. And you will always know. Now that you've found a way to transform at will, your instincts can take control and you'll know what to do," Sam interjected. "And I will be here, to make sure that you don't harm anyone you aren't supposed to."

Danny looked lovingly at Sam, truly realizing how lucky he was to have found her. The way she was willing to stand up for him, throw herself in harm's way. That's what he loved. More than her sense of humor. More than her beauty. More than those deep purple eyes…

"Eyes…" he muttered, rising up again.

"Hmmm?" she questioned.

"You, Mr. Ummmm?"

"Just call me an Observant," the ghost said, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Ok, Mr. Observant. Can you show me the human world in real time?" Danny asked, urgency in his voice.

"Danny? What's…?" Sam asked.

"I forgot about the Sarah! Tucker! The Fentons!"

Sam slapped her forehead.

"Crap!"

The Observant turned to the screen, allowing it to change again, this time showing the Fentons' living room. Both Danny and Sam let out gasps as they realized how urgently they needed to get back home.

* * *

_The Fentons were standing, looking down at the ground and the figure below them._

_Sarah was on the ground, scooter on the floor behind them._

_Just from looking, the group could tell that Sarah wasn't breathing. It wasn't until Tucker ran in that they got confirmation on the situation._

" _The ER are on their way, but they don't seem to think they can do anything if her heart has already stopped," Tucker said, nearly breathless._

" _She was fine this morning, energetic even. I can't believe she'd just pass out dead like this!" Maddie tried to reason._

" _Given everything else we've been through, I'm wondering if this is related," Tucker added._

" _You mean she died because something else happened!?" Jack scratched his head in thought._

" _Well, she is sort of linked to Danny and Sam. Maybe something happened in there…"_

The screen went fuzzy, not allowing the group to see more.

"That's my Grandma! Turn it back on!" Sam demanded, jumping up and almost attacking the Observant.

"I can't dear. Those screens are not designed to show unsure futures."

"Well then, take us home! Let us find a way to save her."

Danny got up as he spoke, finally beginning to realize that his story was indeed not over.

"Easier said than done young man, I can't just open a portal and send you home. I'll have to let you navigate yourself back…"

The couple drooped their heads at this. MORE traveling? Why couldn't they just return to the human realm the easy way?

"All the power in the world and you can't just send us home?" Danny asked, almost pleading.

The head Observant blinked down at the two, who still had pleading looks in their eyes.

"Well…"

The two perked up.

"I cannot send you to another realm. That is a power that no ghost has. BUT I believe I can open a portal _near_ the opening to your world. I have never tried sending a human through though…"

Danny turned to Sam.

"Potentially get lost for eons trying to find a way home, or take the risk and let him send us through his?"

"Gee, what great options," Sam said sarcastically. "When you put it that way, I've taken so many risks already, might as well take more."

They both turned back to the Observant, who turned around and lifted his arms, green light coming from within to create a swirling vortex.

"Make it quick, and Daniel, hold her hand to be safe."

' _I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise.'_

Danny grabbed Sam's hand and floated them to the front of the vortex. He quickly turned his head to the ghost.

"Thank you. For everything."

"Daniel, as I said, you are far from finished. I am sure we will meet again."

As if pushed by a gust of wind, the two figures felt themselves falling into the abyss of green light.

"After all, there are more prophecies."

* * *

A green burst of energy exploded through the air, sending the young woman flying back. Brushing off her skirt, she regained her composure only to see the energy gone and two figures standing where there'd been no one before. The female figure was bent over, almost out of breath, black hair in her face. The male was holding on tight, making sure she was ok. When he finally looked up, the young woman gasped.

"You! I have been waiting by this portal for a long time to talk to you."

Danny flinched, taken unawares by the woman's presence. But upon his own closer inspection he realized that he recognized this woman.

"The dragon…" he muttered quietly, but she still heard him.

"Not anymore, oh great one. For I have not witnessed that part of me since your removal of my amulet. And for that, I am here to thank you."

Sam turned to Danny, who in turn raised an eyebrow, trying to remember all he had done for the woman.

"Ummm, you're welcome?"

"No! Don't you see! You told me to free myself, to confess about our powers. And when I finally did, well…my brother was finally put in his place."

"His place?"

"The dungeons to be exact. He abused his powers. Lost all those he loved and even his reign. You are looking at the new Queen of Eragon." She puffed herself up a bit at this, proud of what she had become.

"So thank you, great one. Our kingdom is forever in your debt."

"Again… you're welcome," he replied, looking around, hoping to spot the portal home.

Sam could sense the awkwardness and decided she should try and help.

"Danny. You saved her realm. YOU. You did something GOOD. Don't you see, this is what he was talking about. This is why you exist."

"Oh yes! Our prophecy. About my amulet. Did it come true, great one?" The woman's eyes widened with curiosity.

Danny smiled a bit at this, beginning to like being called "great one."

"Yes, you could say that… But now, ma'am, I must be finding my way back to the human realm. Can you point me in that direction?"

"Oh, of course. Anything for you! It's right there!" She pointed off to the right, where another green swirl was floating in the zone.

"But be careful, I think I saw another ghost go through earlier…"

Danny looked to Sam, raising an eyebrow, hoping they wouldn't have to deal with another ghost battle that day.

"Danny, we'll be ready for 'em," Sam smiled as they grabbed hands again and turned toward to portal.

"But for now, let's save my grandma!"

The ghost queen seemed confused as the two conversed, but knew that it must be important, for the couple seemed to be in a hurry.

"Good luck oh great one!"

The couple took one last look at the girl before stepping into the portal home, smiles on their faces.

"I hope you make a good queen!"


	36. Chapter 35

Tucker and the Fentons gathered in the living room around the couch where they had moved Sarah's body. She still wasn't breathing, and they hadn't witnessed any sign of life as they had moved her. The worry was really beginning to set in now, realizing that she may not be coming back and not knowing how to break the news to Sam when she and Danny finally returned.

"She was always so welcoming when I'd come over to visit Sam," Tucker began, "never judging me for my weird quirks, always excited to know that I was there for Sam."

"It just doesn't make sense!" Jack boomed. "She was fine earlier today!"

"Jack… we don't live in a world that makes sense anymore. Ghosts of the past returning. Prophecies coming true. I bet you anything there's a link in all of this."

Even though she was trying to be sensible, in the back of her mind, Maddie couldn't make sense of it all either.

"Mads, there has to be something we can do!" Jack tried.

"Like what? We can't bring people back from the dead!" Maddie said angrily.

"Yeah, only one ghost could do that, and we just defeated him."

All three figures turned, shock clear on their faces, to see Danny and Sam at the top of the basement stairs.

"Sam!" Tucker cried, running over to hug his friend.

"Danny," The Fentons sighed as Danny took another step into the room.

"You did it?" Maddie asked, stepping forward.

"Yup," was all Danny could say.

"Clockwork, he's… gone?"

"Something like that," Danny grinned.

"And you're… well wait, what are you now?" Maddie asked, noticing that Danny had returned in his human form.

"It's a long story, but I think we need to save that for later. Right now, we just need to wake Sarah."

"Grandma!" Sam had been so wrapped in her embrace with Tucker that she had almost forgotten why they'd rushed home. Letting him go, she ran over to her grandmother. Kneeling by the couch, she looked up to the Fentons.

"What happened exactly?"

"Oh sweetie, we don't know. She was fine while we were downstairs helping Danny navigate. But then when I came up to check, she was on the floor, passed out cold."

Sam looked at Danny, puzzlement in her eyes.

"You don't think it has to do with me?"

"Huh?"

Danny had had a long day, and the events of his most recent confrontation were all starting to blur together.

"When I took off my medallion and almost died... there's been a link between us this whole time. What if that link is what did this?"

Danny's mind reeled.

' _Could it be true? The connection between Sam and Sarah has always been strong, but is it strong enough to affect one when the other is down?'_

"Sam, be reasonable. How is that even possible?"

"You're asking me about how something is possible! You're a boy from the past who returned as a ghost and is practically human again! Don't ask me how something is possible anymore Danny!"

Sam couldn't take it. She just knew there was a link to her own near-death and her grandmother. But how were they supposed to break it?

' _She has a point you know,'_ thought Danny. _'You did return from the dead and you are regaining humanity. Not to mention how you managed to revive her in the Ghost Zone. There has to be a cure…'_

Danny turned back to the group, an idea in his head.

"In the Zone, when Sam almost… died… I somehow managed to bring her back. It was just like those old fairy tales where one character admits their love for the other and they all live happily ever after. What if... I have to admit my love again. For Sam. Break whatever link is left between me and Sarah, so that she can finally be free of our past?"

"But Danny, how could that work?" Maddie pointed out. "Even if you do that now, it won't seem authentic since you planned it."

"She's right you know," Tucker added.

"Well then, maybe it's not me that has to do it. Maybe it's Sam," Danny concluded as they all turned to look at her.

"Me? What… how… huh?" Sam stumbled.

"Sam, you need to save your grandmother. Ever since I revealed the truth about us, you've had this fear that I'd want to go back to her."

"But... but…"

"Don't deny it Sam! Even now I can tell you are worried about my commitment to her. And yes, she was my first, but now, don't you see, my feelings aren't what they were anymore. I can't keep living in the past. I have to learn to adapt to this crazy modern world, and I need to be with you as I do it. Not someone from 50 years ago, but someone from right here, right now. Someone who I saved from a rooftop weeks ago, and someone who has saved _me_ on countless occasions since. Someone who will always have my back no matter how weird it is that I'm a ghost and that I don't get the point of those iPhone things."

"Danny, it's not that. I do believe that you're in this with me for the long run, but I just…"

"Listen to what your heart is saying. You know that after all of this, we are destined to be together. Heck! I bet we were even destined to be together before you were born. I bet Clockwork had this crazy plan and knew that because of my death back then, Sarah would end up with a family now, and you'd come along and find me. That seems like something he'd do, right? So stop denying what you know is true."

"I know. I think I've known for a while now. It's just, hard. I know I said I would help you when it's time to take on ghosts and save the world, but what if I'm not? What if something happens, or what if… we break up?" Sam stuttered at this last one, finding it hard to believe that would ever happen.

Shocked that she would even think those things after all they had been through, Danny took a moment before replying.

"Sam. Destiny is weird. Believe me, I know. And time is weird. Things can change. And if something happens and we end up… breaking up… well that's life I guess. But for the time being, I need to know that you are going to be by my side and help me figure this out. We need each other, Sam. And Sarah wouldn't want it any other way."

Sam looked into his blue eyes again, still so used to the green ones that had saved her that night. Could she really get used to this? Being a part of this crazy destiny? She thought for a moment, thought about everything that had happened since that night. All they had been through… together.

"That night… when I almost… I didn't think anyone cared. Anyone wanted to see me alive. But then you took my hand and haven't let go. Danny, as much as I saved you, you've saved me more. You've shown me that life is worth living, and as long as you're here, I will be too."

Suddenly Sam jerked forward, having been leaning against the couch this whole time. Everyone else looked her way and froze.

Sarah sat up, chipper as ever. "What?"

"Grandma!" Sam stepped forward, embracing her in warm hug.

"Oh Sammy, don't be so dramatic, you act as if I just died or something." She turned to Danny at this and gave him a small wink.

"But, how?"

"Why don't you tell me that. One minute I'm out on a walk and the next I'm on the ground, passed out. Hearing voices worried about me but unable to do anything. The whole time, all I can think about is how you two need to stop that annoying ghost and get back here to wake me up!"

"So you heard… everything?" Danny asked.

"Yes, Danny, everything. And don't worry, I'm not upset. Why would you, a strong, young man—er ghost?—want to get back together with me, an elderly old fogey?"

"Grandma, you're not THAT old!"

"Either way, I'm not here to stand in anyone's way. Yes, it seems odd that my granddaughter is in love with my ex-boyfriend, but given the circumstances, well… it's fine. Now give me my scooter so we can be moving on."

Danny and Sam both turned to each other, utter confusion on their faces. Was that really it?

"Hold up Sarah!" Maddie said before reaching for the scooter. "You almost died today. I think we need to run some tests."

"Ha! No thanks! I'll take my chances," Sarah replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, at least let's stick around long enough to hear how they did it!" Jack added, excitement in his voice. "Or am I the only one who wants to hear about how Danny defeated the great Clockwork!"

Everyone turned to look at Danny again.

"Oh yea… that." Danny half grinned as he rubbed his arms. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

* * *

"So after all this time, all it took was you learning to control your powers?" Tucker asked, still in awe of Danny's story.

"I think it's always been more that that," Danny commented, a bit worn out from his explanation. "Someone in that Zone has known for centuries that by creating me, he'd be creating his own undoing. But I don't know if controlling my powers is really what defeated him."

"But until you really learned to take control, you didn't have the power to end him," Jack added.

"Right. But controlling my abilities is only half of the story. If we've all learned anything today, it's that love and family are just as powerful as any ghost."

"And your love for Sam, it's what helped you, isn't it?" Maddie added.

Danny looked at Sam, a sparkle in his eyes, and nodded.

"If she hadn't been there with me, I don't think I ever would have realized my true potential. Not to mention all the human emotions I was feeling before that when I was around her."

"But, dude, now what?" Tucker asked.

He again looked at Sam, this time implying that she should answer.

"I just confessed my love, isn't that enough for you?" she said with a bit of sarcasm.

Danny chuckled.

"I don't know. I don't know if I'm human. I don't know if I'm a ghost. I think I'm both. Does that mean I'll start aging again? Maybe. Does that mean I can sleep and eat and do all the things I used to do? Probably. Unfortunately, the Observants didn't really tell me much. But I think… I'm ok with that. Because I have Sam. And Sarah. And you guys. You're my family now. And no matter what time period I'm from, I'm here, in the now, and I'm not going anywhere."

The group grinned at this, happy to know that Danny had found his peace.

"But don't think for a minute you guys can start treating me like a kid! I've seen and done more than any of you. And curfews? NOPE."

Danny laughed at his own joke this time, but in the process a wisp of cold air came from his mouth. Eyes glowing green, he whipped his head around to see a streak fly by the window.

Sam grabbed his hand, sensing that he had a job to do.

"Remember what he said. Your job isn't done. It probably won't ever be. But that's ok. Go. Do what you were destined to do."

He looked around and nodded, determination on his face as he let two glowing rings form around his body to transform into his now familiar ghost form.


	37. Epilogue

Jack and Maddie sat in the basement in front of the computer, Jazz's journal in Jack's lap as Maddie typed on the keyboard.

The screen lit up as she typed, revealing the words that had been copied from the journal. She turned to her husband with a look of concern on her face, but his small smile and nod told her to continue.

Turning back to the computer, Maddie began to type again, the words "The End of Clockwork" appearing as a header. Slowly, Jack recounted all that Danny had told them about the final battle as Maddie continued to type, until finally, after what seemed like hours, she hit enter and rolled her chair back from the screen.

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, she gazed into Jack's tearful eyes and spoke in a calm voice.

"Your mom would be proud."

"I know Mads, I know."

With this, he stood and walked to one of the many file cabinets, opening one and dropping the diary inside.

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Sarah had mysteriously died and been brought back, but for some reason it was still on her mind as she explored the neighborhood on her daily outing.

Was it possible there really was a link to her and Sam that was more than just grandmother and granddaughter? Could it show itself again?

She wanted to believe that she had woken up because Sam was finally ready for the commitment of being with Danny, but she still found that whole idea so bizarre.

Here she was, almost 70, and there he was, her former boyfriend, back from the dead and in a serious relationship with her granddaughter. She was happy that Sam had finally found happiness, but the idea of all of them linked still sent shivers up her spine.

She stopped at the next crosswalk and closed her eyes, allowing herself to daydream.

_She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see his ocean blue eyes looking down, a small smile on his elderly face._

_His hair was gray and receding a bit at the top, but she would recognize those eyes anywhere. She looked over to her shoulder and saw his wrinkled hand, worn from age, was clamped tightly upon it._

" _Don't worry Sarah, I promise I will always be here for you."_

" _Danny. When you died, I didn't know how to feel. Life, it just ended._

" _Yes, it did for me too. But at least one of us moved on and found happiness."_

" _You found happiness too! Just in ways we never expected."_

" _That is true, and I wouldn't change a thing."_

" _You know, I wouldn't either."_

" _Thank you Sarah. For everything. Always being faithful and allowing our destinies to play out."_

_Sarah smiled and looked up into his eyes again, as the vision began to fade._

" _Promise you won't hurt her."_

" _I will NEVER hurt anyone I love." Was the last thing he said before he disappeared._

She jerked her head awake to the honking of a car, reminding her that the light had turned red and she needed to cross.

' _Danny, thank you for saving us all.'_

* * *

Danny, Sam and Tucker were sitting on her doorstep, ice cream cones in hand. Danny looked over to Sam, a twinkle in his eyes as he spoke.

"So I guess I can eat this now?"

"Guess so!"

He looked down at his cone and let his tongue touch its cold, chocolate goodness. He smiled after the first lick and then quickly took more, as if the feeling would end at any time.

Sam and Tucker both looked at him and giggled before tucking in to their own.

They sat in silence for a bit, enjoying their ice cream before it could melt in the hot summer heat.

Danny was the first to finish, enjoying his rediscovered eating abilities a little too much. He looked over to the others, only to see Sam's had begun to melt, and then his eyes got big.

"Sam, this is it. This is 'the scene'!"

Her eyes widened at this too, while Tucker just looked at them in confusion.

"The scene?"

"The scene Clockwork saw! The one that started this whole mess. But… it's not."

Danny looked at Tucker, and then the melted ice cream that should have been on his leg, not Sam's.

Sam looked back, before letting out another giggle.

"Well, I guess not every prophecy plays out the way it's supposed to."

* * *

The screen went blank and the ghost let out a soft wail as he tried to pull away.

"That's not how it's supposed to go! That's not how anything is supposed to go!"

The more he fought with his chains, however, the more he found himself trapped.

He had been chained up in this room for what seemed like eons, being forced to watch Danny and Sam's story play out in a screen across from him; so far he had not enjoyed what he had seen.

Another ghost appeared in front of him at these words, blocking the screen from view.

"Clockwork, you of all people should know that the timelines can change. And now that you are no longer in control, the boy's destiny will play out on its own, WITHOUT your help."

"Then at least don't force me to watch every moment of it!" Clockwork shouted to the Observant in anger.

"Until you can learn to watch, and NOT meddle, you will stay here, under our keep. If, and only if, you can prove you can handle being a simple observer, then we will discuss your freedom."

The ghost disappeared again as Clockwork continued to struggle with his chains, another scene from Danny's life playing out before him.

"Daniel, I will get free someday, and you will discover your true destiny."


End file.
